Beyond the Blazing Waters
by Melanie BlackRose
Summary: Roy wonders if anyone can steal his heart. Maya becomes the Water Alchemist after she was pushed into the gate. To get back to her world, she goes after the philosopher's stone with the Elric brothers, but falls in love with Roy. But in a world of chaos will water and fire ever be together? Find out a dark secret about Maya's past that makes her a target by homunculi. Mustang X OC
1. The Gate

**Hey! I just edited the first chapter to add Roy's POV. It's just a slight variation, so it doesn't change the previous story that much.**

 **Anyway, please be open-minded and let me know if you like it! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(I don't own anything except Maya and her mysterious past)**

* * *

 _"Fate is never fair. You are caught in a current much stronger than you are; struggle against it and you'll drown not just yourself but those who try to save you. Swim with it. and you'll survive"_ -Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

o0❤0o

 **Chapter I - The Gate**

Hurriedly getting past people in front of me, I was making my way to the taxi. A yellow taxi cab had luckily stopped in front of a tall glass building to drop a customer. As my black heels clicked quicker to get to the other side, a silver car honked at me, indicating my carelessness. I finally crossed the street and made my way to Park Avenue. Before I asked the taxi driver to drop me, the heel of my shoe almost made me trip. _If not for the job interview, I would have never wore such formal wear. Hope I get this job. After that, my only goal in life will be accomplished. Earning enough money to buy and care for four cats and four dogs._ I looked at the driver again, only to find out that another customer had pushed past me to get into the taxi. Great, I just have to walk home now.

I heard my phone bling and saw mom's text. _Today is your 23rd birthday Maya, come home early._ Rushing to find another taxi, I brisk walked through New York's streets but had to stop for the cars to drive before crossing the street. Even though everyone had stopped on the sidewalk just like me, an old woman in a oddly dressed attire was moving towards the cars. Frightened that she might get hit, I ran to grab her hand and pulled her to the side.

"Oh my! That was close. Thank you for the help, dear" the old woman said.

"Your welcome. Be careful when you are crossing the street" I said as I smiled at her.

She lifted her purple cloak up to reveal her face and her clothes. Along with her elegant cloak, she was wearing a yellow blouse that was topped with a red stone along the center of it, to give it a sophisticated look. The clothes seemed too rich for a middle class citizen, and too abstruse for her age. She had white hair that shined like silver in New York's lights. She then smiled through her wrinkles that were enveloped throughout her face and looked at me in the eyes. For some reason, her look frightened me.

"You have beautiful brown eyes, dear" she said.

"Thank you" I replied as I held her hand and helped her walk to the next street.

"Stop me right here. Thank you for helping me walk. Sorry to bother you, dear," she said and handed me a silver ring that had a stone with a blood red color in the middle, "Keep this as a token for my gratitude."

"Oh, no. I cannot keep this" I tried to hand her the ring back, but she stopped me.

"Keep it" she said, narrowing her eyes.

Before I could go after her, my hands and knees hit the rough road as she suddenly pushed me. I was shocked and was about to question her for her change in attitude, when my head turned around to face two headlights coming towards me rapidly. I tried to get up and move out of the way, but my feet were frozen in the ground. The lights kept coming closer and closer, but I could not move. I realized that this was the end. I was going to die.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Mustang's POV**

I put on my ironed shirt and looked in the mirror. The outfit was just perfect for the occasion, formal and neat. It always worked for me since ladies were into classy men. Yet, something seemed missing. I reached into the closet and pulled out a black tie. After a couple of tries, I yanked the tie out of my neck and threw it on the bed.

In the corner of my mind, I knew that a simple tie was not the thing missing. She was missing. Someone who would always be there for me. I had been with many women before, with different personalities, looks, interests, and motives. But I only wanted them to pass my time. Yes, most of them were beautiful, but only by looks and not by heart.

 _"Look, look at this!"_ Hugues had said for the hundredth time while shoving a photograph too close to my face, _"Doesn't my wife look so happy? She's pregnant, you know!"_

 _"Don't you want to brag about your family like me? You should get a wife soon, you know"_ Hugues had continued, _"how long will you be dating one chick after another?"_

I had never thought of getting a wife before. The idea of a having only one woman for your entire life troubled me. I had always thought that if you're bored with something, it can always be replaced, like a new model of a car. I mean, why would you keep an antic, dilapidated car when a new brand with high technology is on the market?

As time passed, I knew Hugues was right. A car can be old, but its sentimental value only increases the older it gets.

But the latter was also true. What if she gets bored with me? After all, the women only wanted me for my looks and status as a State Alchemist. Despite my flagrant and overly sensual behavior towards the women, they didn't seem to mind it at all. More than willingly, they spent their time with me, some even sacrificing their womanly virtue. Next thing you know, they went out of my life just as quickly as they had come.

I put on my shoes and locked the door behind me as went I to meet my date. _Maybe I'll find her this time._

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

I closed my eyes in the fear of getting hit by the car. I expected to find darkness since my eyelids were closed. But instead, the entire space began to swirl and arrange itself into distinctive patterns and shapes. Just I thought the space in front of me would continue to act like a kaleidoscope, everything was filled with light. So much light that I felt my head throb. _What's happening? Where am I?_

I felt the light getting more intense and I struggled against the headache. Just as I thought the light was the brightest, everything went white. Not like the white of the moon or the white of milk. It was pure, like snow, like that of an angel's feather. _Am I dead? Am I in heaven? Will I not see mom and dad again?!_

As if on cue, the entire space in front of me filled with voices, pictures, and emotions everywhere. To my right, I saw my dad lift me from the ground after the four-year-old Maya fell from her bicycle. To the front, mom was braiding the long black hair of a 11-year-old girl and saying, _learn to do it yourself, Maya, I will not be with you forever._ The girl grimaced when she heard her mom say this.

 _These are my memories! Why am I seeing them now?_

 _Happy Sweet Sixteen, Maya...Happy 19th Birthday Maya..._

 _Mom, dad, where are you? What am I seeing right now? Where am I?!_

It grew louder. _Happy 22nd Birthday Maya!_

It was silent again. The voices had stopped. I felt something smooth and cool brush against my right cheek. Afraid, I held there for a couple of minutes. I tried to open my eyes, and this time, I succeeded. I found myself lying down on a yellow marble floor. I got up and tried to see where I was, but there was nothing to see. Just the yellow marble floor and me. I was alone.

After several minutes, a huge white circle enigmatically appeared on the yellow floor, which had a triangle, some strange symbols, and something written on it. On one end of the circle, I saw a flame emerging. On the other end, water was beginning to form. The flame started getting bigger and bigger, while the water still stayed the same.

I started to move away from the circle, when my back hit something. I turned around and saw a huge black door that reached several feet high standing in front of me. To either side of the door, black pillars were covered with figures of what seemed were sculptures of humans. On the top, the figures repeated themselves, but were slightly bigger than the ones on the sides. Although these features of the door were enigmatic enough, my attention was drawn towards an eye that was inscribed in the middle of the door. Inside the eye were symbols of fire, water and other elements. Maybe it was just my imagination, but there was a crack on it and the door was slightly open.

Curious, I walked towards it. As if it could sense me, the door began to open itself with a loud click. My eyes widened in shock and horror as I saw hundreds, no, thousands of deep purple eyes looking down on me. The eyes kept coming closer to me, when beams of black shapes with black fingers began to envelope around me. I tried to resist, but the more I tried, the more harder it was to move. I heard the creatures laugh and scream excitedly as I was dragged into the door and it was closed behind me. The place soon became too dark while the creatures kept hoping on top of me.

A bright red light suddenly started shining, which made the creatures back away from me. When I tried to look around for the source of the light, I realized that I still had the ring that the old woman had given me and it was the one emitting the light.

The redness grew and became enormous and was followed by specks of flames and huge amounts of water. Something held on to me again and began to move me. The fire stayed the same, but the red light and the water grew larger and larger in size and held on to me stronger. It seemed like the water was reacting with the flames, making the water blaze. With that, the source that was moving me became faster until my head was so heavy that I became dizzy.

Before I blanked out, I managed to let one thought escape my mind. _What is going to happen to me?_


	2. Man of Flame

**The plot of the anime will begin in the next chapter. Have fun!**

* * *

 **Chapter II - Man of Flame**

I woke up to the sound of footsteps. To my left I heard children laughing and somewhere in the distant the horn of a car. I opened my eyes halfway and became aware of the excruciating pain that ran down from my head, to my arms, to the tips of my toes. There were many leaves and bushes surrounding me, but I could make out what was on the streets beyond them. It looked like a normal road with white strips that ran down the middle. There were rows of elegant houses surrounding either side of the road along with lamp posts and street lights.

 _I might be outside of New York City. There are way less people visible here._

The sun shined brightly and I thought it would be best to close my eyes and just lie there for a while.

* * *

o0❤0o

"Wow, who's that chick over there?"

"She looks pretty. Her height is quite short for my taste, but it'll do for the night. Help me carry her"

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw two men glaring down at me. One was holding a brown bottle in his hand, and the other subconsciously held on to the lamppost for support. My throat tightened as I saw the lust in their eyes. I quickly spring up to my feet to back down two steps.

"Where're you going, beautiful? Stay with us," the tall one said.

I looked to my surroundings and made a ran for another street that was to the left of this one. After couple of turns, I stopped to catch my breath. I glanced behind and relaxed when I didn't see the men.

 _Where am I?_

The buildings in front of me were different from before. They looked less graceful and seemed too compact. Compared to the tall row houses with Roman arches as windows and red roofs from before, these had less space for elaborate decorations because they were squished against each other. Somewhere, a dog barked, which added to the melancholic atmosphere of the night. I saw a light inside what looked like a restaurant in front of me and decided to follow it.

As I entered the restaurant, the smell of cake, wine, and bread filled the air. My mouth watered and I realized that I hadn't eaten in a long while. I approached a table and sat there quietly and hoped that the waitress could notice me.

The waitress finally came to me, and handed me a menu, before asking, "What would you like to eat, Ma'am?"

The chocolate cake caught my eye and I told her to get it. She smiled before she took off and left me alone.

There were many tables empty to the right of me, but some men were sitting on the bar counter to the left. They were looking at me, but I decided to just ignore them. In the front, a couple was seated together and was eating something along with wine. The man had black hair that was the same color as mine, with loose strands that hung on his forehead. He had slightly tan skin and black eyes that had a serious look to them. His clothes were very orderly and tidy, with a white shirt that was ironed way too perfectly, a black pant, and polished shoes that were shining in the light. He was slightly smirking at the brunette women in front of him. It was obvious that she had fallen for him because of the way she looked at him. Her eyes were gleaming and admiring his every move, like a child seeing snow for the first time. She blushed when he said that the restaurant was really good and they should come here more often.

 **Mustang's POV**

A girl came in through the door and sat down on the table in front of us. She looked very strange, and I am sure I had never seen her before. Although covered in specks of dirt, the clothes she wore were formal and noteworthy, with a tight white blouse, black heels, a blazer and a skirt. The mini skirt looks quite nice. When she turned around to look at the waitress, her long black hair came to her sides from her lower back. Her dark brown eyes looked hungrily at the menu and she took a breath of relief.

 _Why haven't I seen her here before? She talked to the waitress in a strange accent. I have to find out more about her. She might be involved in a crime, for all I know. If only I could get her to trust me so I could force the truth out of her..._

 **Maya's POV**

I grabbed the fork and hurried to get the cake into my mouth, when the men at the bar approached me.

"Hey, pretty lady. You look so lonely sitting by yourself. Let us give you some company. We will entertain you" the man with a bulky shape said.

Six more men followed and one of them put a hand on my right shoulder.

"No, thanks. I'm fine" I said and stood up from my chair.

Since the men kept coming closer and closer, I panicked and ran towards the door. They quickly followed me, and I heard loud giggles that sent a chill down my spine. I went out of the restaurant, and started walking through random streets again, hoping they would lose me. They were following quickly, however; and I knew I had no option but to fight. I made an abrupt stop and turned to face them.

"Are you finally tired of running away, baby? Now let's play a different game, shall we dear?"

I narrowed my eyes and kept staring at them as one of them came close to me. He attempted to grab my shoulders, and the moment he did, I twisted his hand so that his wrist made a cracking sound and side kicked him with my right foot when he was trying to recover from the pain in his hand. He landed on the floor next to the others after they all let out a gasp and looked at me with shock clearly visible in their eyes. I had learned karate for 12 years now, and I was not going to let them get away without showing them by black-belt skills.

The man in the middle flared his nostrils and glared at me, before coming to punch me in the face. I blocked the punch easily and threw a kick on his chest and punched him several times on his face and his stomach. Then I spun around and placed a tornado kick on his cheek, which sent him to the ground with a loud thud. I was prepared when the other men walked towards me.

 **Mustang's POV**

I paid the bill and exited the restaurant, when I saw about five men chasing after the girl I saw earlier. _The girl with an enticing mini skirt._ Her terrified look showed she didn't want to be with them. She desperately ran, turned to another street, and was gone.

 _She might look suspicious, but she must be in danger. I should follow her._

I bid goodnight to the fine woman in front of me, and tried to figure out where the other girl went.

I heard a scream coming from somewhere and rushed towards it. I went through a narrow alley in front of me, and was about to step out of it, when I stopped. I saw a tall man with well-built muscles lying on the ground, holding his right wrist and screaming with pain.

As a man went towards the woman with black hair, she kicked and punched him several times, which made him fall. _She did it so quickly and efficiently. I am sure she's trained. All more the reason to suspect her._

The others came in running towards her, while she calmly strok them, focusing on pressure points that would initiate the most pain.

 **Maya's POV**

After all of them were on the ground wincing from agony while trying to get up, I let a satisfied smile spread across my face. _That was a piece of cake. Oh! I left the cake back in the restaurant! I should go back. These idiots didn't even let me eat a bite._

As I turned to head back, I saw about twelve men come towards me with knifes and other weapons in their hands. In the front, I saw that the man I had hit first was leading them.

 _Maya, what did you get yourself into? I can't handle twelve men with weapons at the same time!_

I decided to run away, but as I turned back, I realized that I had reached a dead end. There was no where to go. I was trapped.

 **Mustang's POV**

There were several men surrounding her now, many with weapons of all kinds. She tried to turn back, but froze when she reached the dead end.

 _If I help her, I might get her trust. Then I can learn her secret and find out if she imposes any threat to the military._

 _Here it goes. She better be thankful for it._

 **Maya's POV**

 _I have to try at least. If I can knock some of them, I might be able to escape past the others._

I clenched my hands into fists and brought them in front of me, ready to charge. But before I could, someone in a white shirt in the alley caught my eye. It was the same man from the restaurant. _What is he doing here? Are these guys his men?_

I saw the man come out of the alley.

"Don't attack her" he said at the men and stepped in front of me.

His left hand was behind his back, while he brought his right hand in front of his face. That's when I noticed that he was wearing white gloves on both of his hands. The glove that was in front of his face had a strange circle on it. On the top, there was a symbol of fire, while the interior of the circle had two upside down triangles. _This looks somewhat similar to the circle I saw earlier, at the black door. Wait, was that a dream? Where was I now? How-_

My thought was interrupted when the man with the white glove snapped two fingers of his right hand. I froze as I saw fire ignite from his hand and strike two men in the front, defying the laws of gravity.

 _What just happened? How did he do that?_

"Don't hurt her, that's all I asked you," he smirked, "And it seems, you did **just** as you were told."

Expressing remorse hatred, another man attacked. The fire man snapped his fingers again and soon he was also burned with flames.

"I couldn't control myself. The damage to your skin isn't nearly as bad as it feels," he said and smiled at the man on the ground.

He noticed that I was staring at him and turned to me. "You can call me Mustang. Or just Lieutenant Colonel. Hell, you can call me the Flame Alchemist," he said as he looked at me in the eyes. My heart pounded hard in my chest and I averted my gaze.

He turned back to the three men on the ground and said, "Whatever you do, remember the pain."

A shiver ran down my body as I heard the clouds thunder and it began to rain. The fire man grimaced and look up at the dripping sky.

"Great. Why does this always happen..." I heard him mutter.

The other men who were standing there looked terrified and some made a run for it. But about seven of them still stood there, waiting for the right opportunity to attack. The man snapped his fingers again. I closed my eyes, expecting the fire to burn the others. But when I opened my eyes again, the fire man was still trying to snap his fingers, but it didn't work. He quickly turned towards me. I froze as he grabbed my hand, and pulled me to close to him.

"We'll have to fight. Get ready," he said.

I started to move closer to the men, when my leg slipped from the wet ground, and I fell. I got up and tried to walk, but the my left foot was in excruciating pain.

"I cannot fight. My leg is injured." I told him.

He looked like he was going to fight by himself, when some more men kept coming in our direction. Before they came, the fire man kicked the men in front of him and grabbed my hand.

"We have to ran, hurry."

Although my foot was hurting, I followed him through an alley. I heard a gun shot behind me and I walked faster. Once we were in the narrow alley, he told me to take off my blazer as he took off his shirt. It did not seem like it when he was covered, but he had a well-built shape with rows of muscles extending to the lower part of his stomach. _He is attractive. Maya, focus on the situation!_

"What are you doing?!" I tried asking him.

"Look, you have injured your leg and I hurt mine when the bullet hit my leg. I can't create fire anymore, so the only option we have left is disguise"

I took off my jacket and revealed my partly white and mostly blue blouse. He attempted to wear my blazer and tied his white shirt on his head, which made it seem like he had white hair in the dark of the night. We sat silently in the alley as the men kept searching for us. I could feel the man's musky scent since he was so close to me. _Why he is so attractive?_ Ashamed from my thoughts, I felt my cheeks heat up, besides the coolness of the rain.

I heard footsteps as a man was coming closer to us. The fire man stood in front of me, with his front facing me. He suddenly put both of his hands of the either side of me. My eyes widened in shock as the fire man leaned over me and whispered huskily in my ear, "I have to do this in order to fool them. I'm sorry."

As I was about to question him, the fire man brought his face close to mine. When I thought it could not get any closer, his nose touched mine and I felt an alien sensation on my lips. I began to feel dizzy as his lips moved smoothly over mine and his hands held on to the back of my head.

I heard someone say, "Are they in there?!"

His pattern of kissing softly changed as he bit down my lower lip and vigorously pressed his lips over mine.

"No, just some lovers doin' their business. Let's go search somewhere else." another replied.

As I heard footsteps began to fade away, the fire man loosed his hands on me and I felt his lips release me. I looked at him, shocked for a couple of seconds, and then anger took to over me.

"Luck's on your side. Good thing you have me, don't you think?" he said, but noticed my enraged face.

"What was that for! You could have at least asked my permission before" I was so upset that tears streamed down my face. _That was my first kiss. I wanted it to be special!_

"That was necessary in order to drive them away. Now let's go," he tried to take my hand.

I pulled my hand back and ran the opposite direction. I ran despite the pain in my leg, for it did not matter anymore. I wanted this to stop. This was just a really bad dream. I wanted to wake up, on my 23rd birthday, and find myself with my parents and friends.

I ran randomly again and looked back to make sure he wasn't following me. Satisfied, I stopped at a huge house that had a sign "Tucker" on it. Before I could decide whether to go inside or not, my head became heavy and I let my eyelids slip.


	3. Turning Blue

**Chapter III - Turning Blue**

 _"Should we tell Maya about it now?"_

 _"No, no Sabrina...She is still too young to understand. Give her some time...grow up"_

 _"How long...wait, Sanford...to..."_

 _I moved in a little closer to the door and leaned my ear against it._

 _"She asks me everyday, why she has black hair and very dark skin and we do not. None of our family members look like her either"_

 _"Just tell her she's special. She's just a kid after all"_

 _"But what if she finds out that-"_

 _"Sabrina, we cannot just tell her how we found her. Now let's go back to sleep. It's too late and I have to go work tomorrow"_

 _I quickly got up and covered my myself with the blue blanket before they realized that I was out of bed. Confused, about what I just heard, I decided to let it go and concentrate thinking about my 13th Birthday Party._

* * *

o0❤0o

A huge white dog licked my face and began hopping on me when I opened my eyes. I gently patted the dog and looked up to see that I was lying on a rather comfortable bed in the corner of a blue room.

A little girl got up from her chair and came towards me, "You know that's bad, Alexandra. Daddy, she's awake!" She had long brown hair that was braided and went up to her back. Her large blue eyes blinked several times and looked at me with concern. She was so adorable that I wanted to hug her so badly.

"Oh my, I'm sorry about the dog," a man said as he entered the room. The white dog got up from my embrace and went to sit beside the man.

He had light brown hair and sky blue eyes. From the wrinkles near his eyes, he looked like he might be in his late forties. He lifted his round glasses, and asked me, "How are you feeling now?"

I slightly managed to get up from the bed even though my left foot hurt from the process.

"I'm fine. Thank you. Um, where am I?"

"I found you outside my house this morning. You might have fainted from the heat," he responded. _Oh, right. I had fainted after meeting that crazy fire man._

"I am Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist," he said, "this is my daughter Nina, and our little dog over there that bothered you earlier, is Alexandra"

 _An alchemist? Didn't the fire man say that he was the Flame Alchemist? Are they seriously saying that alchemy actually exists? I have read about alchemy before, but I thought it was just a myth. But what the Flame Alchemist did earlier wasn't ordinary..._

"So, do you know how you got here?"

"I-I am very confused at the moment. I was going home after work, but I don't know how I ended up here in this place..."

"Very well. Freshen up first and I'll get you to eat something. Then see if you can remember"

I agreed and before leaving he asked, "What was name your again?"

"My name is Maya"

The little girl suddenly grabbed my hand, "Maya, what a pretty name. You should come play with me. Won't you?"

She had such sweet voice that I couldn't help myself. "Of course, I will."

"Let her get fresh, Nina. Let's go now"

They closed the door of the room and I got up and went to the attached bathroom. I turned on the sink and looked at the mirror to wash my face, but my mouth hung open at what I saw. My eyes that were dark brown before had turned dark blue in color. Although my wavy hair was still black, the tips had the same midnight blue color to them.

Assuming it was dye, or paint, or some artificial coloring, I tried to get it off. But no matter how much I tried, the blue color still remained on the tips. My stomach growled and I decided to ignore it for the timing being and go and eat something. Before I went out of the bedroom, I attempted to look more presentable. My face looked clean, but my shirt and skirt had specks of dirt on it. The shoes did not look so bad compared to the rest of my outfit. Making the best of it, I put my hair in the front to hide the dirt on my white shirt.

I left the room and after a couple of tries, I found the way to the living room. _God, this house is huge!_

When I decided to call Mr. Tucker, I heard the doorbell ring. Since Mr. Tucker was nowhere to be found, I opened the door myself. My eyes grew wide as the Flame Alchemist stood in front of me. He was now wearing blue pants and shirt with golden stars on the shoulder. It looked like some sort of uniform. Behind him, the dog, Alexandra, had rolled on a young boy with blond hair. There was also a man in armor beside him.

"You know that's bad, Alexandra," Nina stepped beside me.

Mr. Tucker also came in, "Oh my, I'm sorry"

The blond boy said, "No problem. Just don't tell her to roll over."

 **Mustang's POV**

When I rang the bell, I expected Tucker to open the door. But instead, I saw the strange girl that I met yesterday. She looked almost same from before, with her white shirt and black skirt that were covered in dirt, but something about her had changed. _The eyes! She had dark brown eyes, yesterday, if I correctly remember. How does she have blue eyes now? Contacts can explain that, but what about the tips of her hair? She couldn't have dyed it. She doesn't look like she has taken a bath._

 _I must keep an eye on her._

 **Maya's POV**

The Flame Alchemist, the blond boy, and the man in the armor entered the house. I couldn't help staring at the one in the armor. He was dressed up like he was going to war. Mr. Tucker also seemed surprised and was staring at the armor.

"Mr. Tucker, I'm sure you'll have a chance to talk to these boys about their unusual traits. Until then, please just take them as they are," the Flame Alchemist said.

Nina went outside to play with Alexandra when Mr. Tucker told her to.

Mr. Tucker then turned and said to the boys, "You are so young to be taking the exam. I'm so glad to help." _What exam?_

The blond boy responded, "And we would like to thank you for it, sir. To start, we would like to see the chimera that you created." _What is a chimera?!_

Mr. Tucker abruptly changed the topic to the exam. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, and saw that he was sweating. _But why?_

"I'll leave the boys here. I should get back now," the Flame Alchemist said. He turned back to go, but stopped and faced me.

"Who might this be?" he innocently asked Mr. Tucker. He made it seem like yesterday didn't happen at all.

"Hmm, I don't know. She fainted outside my house last night, so I brought her in," Mr. Tucker faced me, "This is the Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang."

"I'm Maya", I said, but decided not to make eye contact with him.

"I see," Mustang eyed me seriously for a while before giving his thanks and exiting the house.

* * *

o0❤0o

"So, Maya, where is your house, do you remember?" Mr. Tucker asked me over dinner.

"Hmm, what is this place that I'm in actually?"

"You're in Amestris" _Amestris? Where is this place? Definitely not in New York or any part of America._

"I'm actually from New York City. I don't know how I ended up here"

The two brothers exchanged glances when I mentioned the name of my city. I had memorized by now that the blond one was Ed and the one is the armor was Al. _What was his deal? Why was he in an armor all the time?_

I realized that I had to figure out how I got here, so I asked Mr. Tucker for a favor. "If you don't mind, Mr. Tucker, can you please let me stay in your house for a while, till I figure a way to get back?"

"Yes, I believe it works. The Elric brothers will be in the library studying for the exams. You can use the library then to find a book and get back to your place."


	4. Alchemy

**Chapter IV - Alchemy**

"Wow, this library surely is really big," I said as I inspected the rows of bookshelves, "surely there must be something about New York."

"Hmm, Maya, did you say you were from New York?" Al asked from his seat near the corner of a book shelf.

"I have heard of such a place but..."

"But what, Al? Do you know how to get there?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, it was mentioned in our dad's journa-" Al started to say, but Ed hushed him by nudging him with an elbow.

Ed said, "Well you see, we read about it somewhere, but why do you want to go to a different world?"

"What do you mean different world?! I am from that place"

Al and Ed exchanged looks and began muttering something among each other, "How do you think...get through the gate..."

"Will you guys tell me if you know something?"

"Before you came to Amestris, did you enter a gate?" Ed asked.

"Gate? No I-" _Gate? The big door I saw after the old woman pushed me?_ "I did see a black door decorated with sculptures"

"You have travelled to a different world, Maya" Ed said.

"What do you mean a different world? How can this be possible?"

"We don't know how it can be possible either. In order to go to another world, you need to open the gate. And to open the gate, you need to use human transmutation, transmutation on the body of an infant, or you need to sacrifice a human or a homunculi to the proper transmutation circle."

"But alchemy doesn't exist in their world, brother" Al added.

I was extremely confused as the more I tried to understand, the more complicated the issue became, "What's transmutation and transmutation circle?"

Al replied, "Human transmutation is when you try to bring a human back from the dead."

"But is very dangerous and people must not try it, trust me" Ed said and frowned. I thought I noticed tears in his eyes, but when I looked again, they were gone.

"How are you doing, boys?" I looked up at the door of the library to see Mustang standing there. "Just wanted to talk to you boys about the rules of the exam"

"I'll go check on Nina" I said and moved towards the door. As I walked past Mustang, he gave me a smile and a strange look. It was as if he knew something about me.

* * *

o0❤0o

Ed continued, "Anyway, a transmutation circle is the one you use to do alchemy."

"So you mean alchemy is not a myth in this world?" I asked, surprised.

"No, in fact we are alchemists and are here to take the Alchemy Exam. Once we pass the test, we can become State Alchemists"

"Is that what Mustang and Mr. Tucker are?"

"Yes, but they are different types of alchemists. Tucker is the Sewing-Life Alchemist and Mustang is the Flame Alchemist"

"Mustang's alchemy is very proficient" Al said. _Yeah, I have seen just how proficient it is. He can't do anything if it starts raining._

I asked them both, "So how do you do alchemy?"

"You see here, this is the transmutation circle" Ed said as he drew a circle with a hexagon and triangle inside it. It also had several symbols inside it. _I saw this before I entered the gate! But it was surrounded by fire and water though..._

"Wow, tat is da transmutation cir-cle" Nina said, as she entered with Alexandra. She ran to hug me and the Elric brothers, but her hand touched a vase and she broke it.

"Yes," Ed said and threw in the broken vase in the center of it. He placed both of his hands on the either side of the circle. A blue light suddenly appeared and vanished just as quickly. After the light was gone, the vase was once again good as new. My eyes widened as I couldn't believe what I just saw.

"Thank yo-u brother. Now play wi me!" Nina said, "Come play wi me sister."

"Well a break would be good" Al said.

We went to the front yard of the house and started playing with Nina and Alexandra.

* * *

o0❤0o

"You guys are at the library again?" I asked the brothers as I entered the library.

"Brother and I have to work hard for the test," Al said.

I took a seat on one of the chairs near Ed and Al, grabbed one of the alchemy books and stretched my legs. I had borrowed some money from Mr. Tucker and bought some new pair of clothes and shoes with them. The dirt stained clothes were itching and I was sure I would get rashes if I wore them for too long.

"You are back from your job early" Ed said. I had been working at a gardening shop nearby to earn some money to pay off Mr. Tucker. After all, I would never come back here after I got back home.

"Yeah, I took care of all the plants for today. And besides, the gardner is sick so she had to close the shop early"

"Can you teach me alchemy?" I said.

Both of the brothers' eyes shot up as they looked at me.

"What do you need alchemy for?" Ed asked.

"Well I thought I can figure out how to get to my world better if I know more about alchemy and learn it"

"Very well. You can try, but not everyone can do alchemy" Ed said and proceeded to draw the transmutation circle.

He taught me how to clasp my hands and try to get the transmutation circle to respond to it. I tried, but it never worked.

"Well, keep trying, it might just work" Al tried to encourage me.

I tried several times to do exactly as Ed and Al had taught me that day, but failed. In the afternoon, I just decided to read the alchemy books instead of doing alchemy. The books were filled with complicated topics that I didn't understand, but I asked the brothers for their help.

"I hope you guys don't mind me asking all these questions..."

Al said, "No, not at all, Maya. It will help us study better. It's like an oral quiz."

Several weeks passed by and I repeated the same routine. Going to the garden shop in the morning, coming in the afternoon and trying to do alchemy, and studying in the evening. Mustang's visits were becoming more and more frequent as he tried to talk to the boys more about the test. He always attempted to strike a slight conversation with me, but I excused myself almost every time by saying that I had to look for Nina.

One day, however, the Elric brothers had gone to the backyard and were playing in the snow. I was at the library alone, trying to do alchemy.

"Hmm, seems to me like you cannot do it after all" Mustang said loudly as my back was facing him. Startled because I didn't know when he had entered, I turned and faced him.

"Wow, you could have knocked before you entered."

He seemed surprised when he saw me. For a second I thought he was examining my dress. I had worked four hours extra yesterday, so the gardener had rewarded me with some extra cash. I had bought a nice red dress that went up to my knees from it. It was too short for winter, so I had worn black stockings underneath and layered it with a white scarf to complete the look. The white of the scarf and the red of the dress highlighted the navy blue color of the tips of my hair. I had also styled my hair with hair clips to further enhance the look.

Mustang came back from his stare and cleared his throat.

"If you didn't get Ed or Al's way of doing alchemy, I can teach you if you want."

"Hmm, no thanks. I'll get it if I practice enough." _But if he knows some other method to do it, I might be able to get it faster._

Reluctantly, I let my ego slip. "Actually, can you please help me?"

He knelt down on the ground beside me and taught me how to place my hand properly and concentrate.

"No, not like that. Concentrate more. And your hand must be more stern" he said as he took my hand in his to structure it properly. His head was very close to mine and I was reminded of his musky scent that I felt on the first day that I had met him. _No, Maya. Concentrate on the alchemy._

"We should study now brother, the exams are coming soon!" Al said as he and Ed entered the library.

They both saw that Mustang's hand was in mine and Ed said, "Oh, did we disturb something? We'll be back."

"No, I came to meet you boys," Mustang said. As he was about to get up, his head bumped into mine and one of my hair clips that were loose caught on to his strand of hair. We both screamed in pain as we tried to separate our hair. I was sure my face was flushing because his nose was only mere inches from mine.

I heard giggles coming from Ed and Al and tried harder to take the hair clip off that had joined both of our hair. I tugged on the hair clip harder, which worked, but sent Mustang towards me. He almost landed on top of me, but managed to hold on to the ground by placing his hands on the either side of me. His front touched my chest as I felt his warm breath on my cheek.

He got up and cleared his throat. "Come one boys, I have to talk to you." With that, I exited the room with my face bright as a tomato. _I wonder if what Mustang has taught me will help me in doing alchemy though..._


	5. Using Water

**Chapter V - Using water**

"All the daisies have been watered. All the tulips are watered, and so are the orchids"

"Good. I just have to meet someone. So take care of the shop while I go, Maya" the gardener said.

"Sure thing"

A women with a purple cloak covering her entered the shop and asked for five roses.

"Sure. I'll get them in a minute" I said.

I went back to the greenhouse and selected four roses that had bloomed. Many of the petals of the other rose were falling on the floor even though it was not withered. I searched for more roses, but couldn't find any. _If I lose this customer, the owner will be mad at me. Roses are expensive, so the customer must be paying a lot._

I had decided to just give the customer only four roses, when an idea crossed my might. _What if I try using alchemy to make it better?_ Eager to try it out, I drew a transmutation circle in the dirt and tried to join the petals back to the rose. It did not work. I tried again, but with no success. Frustrated, I erased the transmutation circle.

I was holding my hand the way Mustang had taught me and I tried to concentration one more time. _I should have put more water to this plant in the first place._ Suddenly, a dark blue light appeared where the rose has been in my hand and it sparkled. After two blinks of my eye, the spark disappeared. When I looked at the rose again, it was good as new. Its petals were attached back together and it was blooming more. I had done alchemy!

 _Wait, but the original rose was pink in color. Why is this rose midnight blue? Oh, forget it, Maya, the customer is waiting._

When I handed the roses to the customer, she paid me with a ton of cash and said, "Oh, what a lovely blue rose you have there, dear."

"Thank you" I said and smiled nervously as she exited the shop.

 _Why does it feel like I had heard this woman's voice before? Even though her face was covered in a cloak, it surely feels like I had met her earlier._

* * *

o0❤0o

 _Oh, no. I didn't even bring an umbrella._ It had started raining when I was just about to leave the shop to go to Mr. Tucker's house. _But I can't stay here for too long._ I remembered the last time I had been alone walking in the night and several guys had followed me. A shiver ran through my spine and I decided to just get wet and go back in the rain.

As I walked in the streets, the rain grew heavier, to the point where I couldn't see a few feet away from me. I decided to stand in an alley while the rain calmed down a little. This alley was wider and longer than the ones I had seen before, but was in an abandoned area of the city. _Why do I always end up in these kinds of places?_ Tired, I leaned my back against one side of the alley and looked around. The rain had stopped now and it was just drizzling. I stepped out of the alley to get back on the street when I heard someone scream from an alley opposite of the one I was in.

I ran towards the source of the scream and saw a man, no an officer, in a navy blue uniform lying still on the ground. My heart began beating harder inside my chest. Another officer was still alive, but was being held in the neck by a tall, muscular man with silver hair. He was wearing a mustard-yellow jacket with a white shirt. His forehead was covered in an enormous scar and he had unusual, crimson eyes. He was glaring angrily at the officer in the uniform. _Who is the officer? Is it Mustang? He can't fight in the rain!_

Without thinking, I ran up to the both of them and yelled, "Hey, leave the officer alone!"

The man turned his face towards me and his angry eyes met mine. He covered his face with his hoodie and came running towards me. That's when I noticed the strange black tattoo on his hand. _Think Maya, what to do?!_ The rain suddenly started pouring harder and my vision became more unclear. _If only this water would stop pouring!_

To my shock, a dark-blue light shot out from my hand and stabbed the man with the scar on his hand. His hand turned blue and he looked at me with horror. As I thought he was going to attack me again, he ran quickly and left the alley.

I looked for the officer that was still alive and to my relief, he was not Mustang. He was still shocked from what he had been through, and I decided to help him up to his feet.

 **Mustang's POV**

When I heard a scream, I rushed to where it might be coming from. An officer was lying on the ground in an alley. Another man with a hoodie was attacking an officer. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed very muscular. I was about to go there, when Maya stepped into the alley. _What is she doing there?_

The man in the hoodie came towards her with full force and attacked her.

"Maya!" I yelled, even though I knew she couldn't hear me over the noise of the rain. I ran to her side, but stopped halfway as a blue light was emitted from her hand. _She's using alchemy? Wait, that's no ordinary alchemy. If I'm right, she's using water to manipulate and control the energy, just like how I use fire. Her blue light is similar to water._

The man with the hoodie started to ran away. I followed him in and out of streets, but lost him in the junction of three roads.

 _She was able to do alchemy without a transmutation circle!_

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

"Seriously?! You used alchemy? But how?" Al asked curiously.

I explained all that had happened at the garden shop and in the alley to Ed and Al.

"Brother, I thought you were the only one to do alchemy without a transmutation circle," Al said, "How can she do it too? You both have to teach me"

Ed confessed, "I don't know how I'm able to do that."

"Anyway Maya, let's see you use alchemy again,"

I concentrated hard and tried to do as Mustang had taught me. But to my surprize, it did not work.

"Guys, I don't know why it's not working now" I said.

"Think, Maya," Ed said, "how were you able to do it earlier?"

"I didn't use the transmutation circle and tried to concentrate hard. Then I wished I had watered the plants earlier. In the alley, I wished that the water would stop pouring, and then..."

"Wait a minute, guys," I said, "In both of these times, I wished something that had to do with water. Maybe I should try that"

I brought my right hand in front of my face. _I wish hmm, water?_ The blue sparkle again formed in my hands and I directed it towards a book on the shelf. The light carried the book, placed it on floor, and disappeared within seconds.

Both Al and Ed were smiling at me.

"Aren't you glad to be having us as your teachers, Maya?" Ed teased me.

"Yes, after all, you have the best student!" I teased back and quickly hugged both of them. After I pulled back, Ed's face was shimmering pink while Al scratched his head nervously. _Man, they're way too cute!_ I had always wanted to have siblings and being with them satisfied my desire to have brothers.

Someone knocked on the door of the library and we all turned to face Mustang standing there with his arms crossed. I thought he had come to visit the Elric brothers, so I decided to leave. But as I was exiting, he stopped me and said, "I need to talk to you, Maya."

* * *

o0❤0o

"What?! You want me to take the alchemy exam? To become a State Alchemist? Why?!"

"Your fighting and your alchemy skills are quite in good shape. The fact that you're able to do alchemy without a transmutation circle is impressive"

 _Did he just compliment me?_ I felt my cheeks heat up, but I ignored it.

"I don't want to become part of the military...Or stay in this place..." I got up from the chair in the library and started heading back to my bedroom. Too quickly, Mustang grabbed my wrist and forced me to face him. Trying to avoid him, I looked down and refused to make eye contact.

"I know you are from a different world, Maya," he said in a softer tone. My eyes sprung up and I stared into his black orbs. _How did he know? Did he hear my conversation with Ed and Al?_

"If you become a State Alchemist, you'll have access to the state library and you can know more about how to get back to your world. I can help you too, if you like...Just think about it"

With that, he got up, walked out the library door, and left me to think by myself.

* * *

o0❤0o

"Guys, I know you'll hate me for this," I said to Al and Ed, "but Mustang told me apply for the same exam as you guys. I might do it since it's the only way to get back to my world."

Al and Ed looked at each other and finally back at me again. Ed had a slightly angry expression to his face, but managed to let it slip.

Finally, Al said, "It's alright. No hard feelings, Maya. We understand how important this is to you. We are just worried because the state only accepts two or three people each year."

"Yeah, I know...But I'm sure if we work hard enough, we all can make it in," I said.

"Yeah," Ed agreed and gave me a small smile.


	6. One of the Dogs

**Maya is on her way to join the military! And get close to Mustang :)**

 **Maya: What? I don't even care about Mustang...**

 **Me: Well, you are going to be spending a lot of time with him, so don't worry, you'll start caring about him soon!**

* * *

 **Chapter VI - One of The Dogs**

"It's always the same," Mr. Tucker was saying after dinner, "written test, then an interview, then practical skills. There's no way to find out how many people will apply. But the state only accepts two or three people each year."

Ed, Al, and I looked at each other with concern and sat silently, deep in thought. The only sound audible was the quiet snoring of Nina, who was sleeping on Alexandra near the fireplace.

After a while, Al asked Mr. Tucker, "What kinds of things do they do in the interview?"

"It varies, but with me, they just asked questions. Physical exams are common too."

For some reason, Ed and Al exchanged worried looks with each other. _What's wrong with a physical?_

"The hardest challenge is the practical skills," Mr. Tucker continued, "some people bring results of their research as I did, while some perform on the spot."

 _Was Mr. Tucker's research the chimera?_ I had learned by now that a chimera was a creature synthesized by joining two beings that are similar by using alchemy. I was very eager to learn how Mr. Tucker created the chimera.

"You guys have a plan for the practical right?" Mr. Tucker asked.

The brothers and I looked at each other and frowned. I would have to go with on the spot practical since I didn't do any research, but I still had to figure out how to demonstrate my skills efficiently.

* * *

The exam day finally came, and we decided that if we could somehow pass the written exam, Mustang would help us with the rest.

We entered the exam hall with Nina and Alexandra waiting at the front gate. The room was huge and had seats in a terrace style, similar to the ones in a college. There were many people already seated there, although not as many as I expected. Every single participant except me was male, and almost every person looked older than thirty. In the front of the room, many officers were seated in tall chairs on the stage and two officers were standing on either sides. I recognized that the one to the far left was Colonel Mustang. He meet my eyes when he saw me and seemed to be suppressing a smile. Since he did not try to approach or greet me, I went up the rows and took my seat.

The exam was many hours long and my hand hurt trying to write everything down. There were some parts that I didn't know and skipped, but I was confident on the other parts. After the exam, we were greeted by Alexandra and Nina.

"Big brother, big sister, how'd it go?" Nina said.

"I didn't finish," Ed said, "my wrist feels like spaghetti."

As we waited for the next part of the exam, the interview, Al and Ed laid on the grass and looked up at the sky. I was trying to escape as Nina and Alexandra chased me from behind. After a while, I noticed that the Elric brothers had gone somewhere. I told Nina and Alexandra to stay right there and went to find them. As I headed to the front, I saw the brothers and Mustang in an alley.

"There you are!" I called them.

Both the brothers gave me a nervous smile and Mustang just stood there staring at me.

"What happened?" I asked when the brothers stared at the ground silently.

"I'm dropping out of the exam..." Al said.

Before I had the chance to reason with Al, Mustang dragged me and Ed to another door for the interview. _That was strange. Why would Al do that?!_

Ed went first through the silver door and came back after he had passed this part. When it was my turn, I wiped my sweaty hands against my blazer and entered the interview room. Three officers were seated in the front with two on the sides. Mustang was on the far left again. The center of the room had a huge transmutation circle on it. A light shot through the ceiling as I reached the center and an abstruse golden chair was revealed. The chair had only three legs. _To check people's balance._

When the officer sitting in the center told me to, I sat on the golden chair.

"Very good. Now tell me why you want to be an alchemist for our military."

I was lost for a moment since I could not tell them that I'm from another world. _Think, Maya, what do you really want?_

"Because I want to make my parents' dream come true," I said, "I vowed to protect my family and be for them at all times. To make this happen, I am ready to face all challenges that come before me." _And I'll overcome those challenges to meet you again, mom, dad..._

* * *

The next day was the day of the practical. Ed and I went to a place what had rock mountains on one side and ice mountains on the other end. As Ed and I stood confused on what to do, a man went to the center and drew a transmutation circle. A bright yellow light appeared and an incredibly tall building was created. It was impressive, but the man had used up so much energy that he could not even stand up.

Another person placed two trees and water in a transmutation circle and created a huge hydrogen balloon. Everyone seemed impressed by this, until the balloon popped and hit the building the first person had created. Upon being hit, pieces of the building began to fall, but the man below it couldn't move because of his lack of energy. Seeing this, Ed and I rushed near the man and used alchemy without a transmutation circle. A bright blue light sparkled from both of our hands. My alchemy put the pieces of the building together and turned it blue and Ed's alchemy joined those pieces back and made the building more detailed. Ed turned part of the hydrogen balloon into flowers and I turned part of it into rain.

"We have found our alchemists," I heard the leader say.

* * *

On the same day, Ed and I got news that we had become alchemists. My eyes were filled with tears and I took Ed's hands in mine and ran with him. He was shocked at first, but laughed when we circled together and did a victory dance. _I'll be coming soon, mom and dad!_

After we entered Mustang's office, we expected him to greet us with drums, and salutes, and enormous cakes. But instead, he barely made eye contact with us and tossed us a silver pocket watch each. The symbol on it looked like a dragon on top of three triangles and an olive branch.

"I expected to have more of a grand ceremony," Ed said, "You know, with trumpets or something."

"Sure, Edward. Congrats. You and Maya are now dogs of the military." Mustang said. _What's with his sudden change in attitude? Oh right, we are the dogs and he has the key that has chained us._


	7. The Evil in Alchemy

**Hi there! Hope you're having a great day!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter VII - The Evil in Alchemy**

"Who are you writing a let-ter to?" Nina asked as she found Ed inscribing something on a piece of paper.

"Just to Winry" Ed said.

I teased, "Is Winry your girlfriend, Ed?"

"NO! No!" Ed exclaimed between his nervous laughs, "She's just a friend! I'm just telling her that I passed the exam and stuff."

Ed turned back towards his desk, while trying to hide his blushing face.

"I'll write a let-ter fo my mommy too!" Nina said excitedly. She pulled out her crayons and a piece of paper and started drawing on it. _I wonder where her mother is. Mr. Tucker said a while back that she had left them, but why? Why does she not live in this house?_

* * *

o0❤0o

Ring. Ring. I heard the doorbell and strode to the living room. Before I opened it, I looked at myself in the mirror to fix my hair. I put the blue strands in the front and left the black curly tips to fall behind. _If it's Mustang, I can't let him see me when my hair's a mess. Wait, why do I care what he thinks?_

Ring. The bell rang again and I opened it. Standing at the door were three officers, all of whom I had never seen before.

The Elric brothers and Mr. Tucker came to stand by my side, when the officer closest to me said, "I'm the brigadier general. The Sewing-Life Alchemist is one of my top priorities and I know you all are sneaking around his experiment." He pointed a finger at me and the Elric brothers and stared at us with his cold eyes.

"I can no longer permit you three to take shelter at his estate."

* * *

o0❤0o

As I packed all my belongings and headed for the front door, my eyes caught something that was being burnt at the fireplace. I bent my knees to take a closer look at the piece of paper. One of the edges were burnt completely, but it looked like it was a drawing of two parents, a little girl, and a dog. _Nina's letter to her mother! What's it doing in the fireplace?_ Thinking that it had fallen there by accident, I picked it up and extinguished the fire that had caught on to it. _Poor Nina had worked so hard on the letter..._

"Where are you going to go, Maya?" Ed asked as I lifted my suitcase and got to the front gate of the house.

"I'm going to get my monthly wage from the gardener tomorrow. I'm going to get a room in a motel after that. Meanwhile, I'll just wander these streets at night..."

"Where are you guys going?"

"We don't know yet, we'll have to see" Al said.

I kept my left palm over my face to conceal the sunlight and waved goodbye to the brothers with the other hand. We turned our separate ways on the junction of two streets and I walked alone, figuring out what to do in the meantime.

* * *

o0❤0o

I walked quickly through the streets until I caught sight of the house. I stopped near the lamp post and planned to make the officers standing in front of the house unconscious by using water alchemy. _It's the only way to get inside Mr. Tucker's house and find out about the chimera. Something seems to be wrong and I have to know what it is._

A midnight-blue light flowed from my hand and hit an officer standing to the right of the gate. As the water enveloped him, he screamed and sank to the ground. As I turned to attack the other officer, I found him lying still on the ground. I looked up to see Al and Ed standing there a few feet away from me.

"What are you doing here?!" Ed whispered to me.

"The same reason as you two, now let's get moving inside quickly!"

We silently opened the windows and got inside. The lights had been turned off everywhere in the house, except the basement. The brothers and I rushed to the basement while trying to make as little sound as possible. As soon as we entered, we found ourselves surrounded by dogs, cats, and strange creatures in cages that were growling at us. They were different from ordinary animals, however; their large eyes glowed bright purple as they stuck out their long black tongues that were covered in slime.

"Come on in, I was expecting you" a voice said from the far end of the basement.

We moved closer to the voice and saw Mr. Tucker standing there, his back facing us. He immediately turned around and revealed a creature that was standing beside him. It looked like a huge white dog with brown human-like hair. _That's odd. If Nina and Alexandra had a baby, it would definitely look like this._

"This is a chimera that can speak the human tongue" Mr. Tucker said.

I went up to touch it and it came closer to me. "Maya, sister" it said and I felt myself shiver.

I withdrew my hand from its hand in shock and looked at it closer. _Can this be possible? Did that man use his own daughter and his own dog to create this thing?! Had he used his wife before?!_

I glared at the man in front of me as he proudly described his accomplishment.

"Wow, it can really talk!" Al said.

Ed was just standing there, his eyes on the ground. He looked at me and nodded, before turning his eyes at Tucker. _He seems to be thinking the same thing as me._

"When did you last make a chimera? And when did your wife leave you?" Ed asked Tucker.

"Both were two years ago. Why? What are you getting at?"

"Tell me this," Ed continued, "Where have Alexandra and Nina gone to?!"

Tucker glared at us and let out a sign. His facial expression changed, making his eyebrows raise and giving his eyes a cruel look.

I grabbed Tucker's shirt and threw him against the wall. Restraining myself from kicking him, I said, "He used his own wife before. And this time he transmuted his daughter and the dog together."

"What?!" Al exclaimed.

Ed grabbed Tucker's collar and pulled him back to his feet.

"Why are you all getting so upset? It's the scientific process to test, it's trial and error. All advancements have a price."

"After all," Tucker continued, "I did almost the same thing that you did to your mother." _What did Ed do to his mother?_

Ed cried, "No, it's not the same thing! Alchemy should not be used for evil!"

Ed went to punch him in the face and Tucker fell back down again. I let my anger slip and kicked him several times in the chest. I jabbed him on his cheek once and was about to do it again, when something pulled my blue shirt. I turned around to see the chimera near me.

"No, sister" it said.

I stopped hitting Tucker and looked at Ed. Ed started to move his hands together to try to use alchemy and separate Nina and Alexandra, but Tucker stopped him, "If you try that, you'll do the same thing that you did to your mother."

We heard footsteps coming towards us and turned around to face many officers running to the basement. After hearing our story, they took Tucker into custody and locked up the chimera in a cage. Ed tried to stop them, but was hit by the brigadier general.

When the car took off with the captives, Ed used alchemy to make the car fall off. I let the blue light flow from my hand and filled water inside the car to prevent the chimera from getting hurt. The chimera escaped from the car just in time. I was going to get it, when it ran away and escaped in the alley. We tried to follow it, but lost it after crossing a different street. We eventually stopped at a small alley when we saw it going there. But when he reached there, one end of the alley was covered in splashes of blood. _Is that Nina's chimera?! Who had done that to her? Who killed her?_ Ed went near the blood and slammed his fist against the wall. I heard someone walk behind me and saw Mustang standing there. He walked passed me and grabbed Ed's hand.

"This is just part of the military, Ed. You have to give your emotions some rest." Mustang said.

"Let the investigation department handle this."

With that, Mustang dragged Al and Ed back from the alley and glared at me to follow him. I walked silently behind and sat on the steps of a doorway. Mustang wrapped a black coat around me and went back to the alley to investigate. A while passed as more and more officers gathered at the alley.

"It can't be the serial killer, he only kills women" I heard someone say.

I pulled on to the black coat tighter as I stared at nothing particular.

"Go home now, it's late" I heard someone say and looked up to see Mustang walking closer to me. All of the officers had left the place by now, and Al and Ed were nowhere to be seen. Mustang and I were the only ones left at the crime scene.

Mustang sat on the stairs beside me and wrapped his right hand on my shoulders. I realized that I had been shivering and despite the quickening of my heartbeat, his touch calmed me down.

"You have to get used to this now, Maya," I heard him say, "this world is an ugly place. Alchemy can also be used for evil purposes."

I looked up and he smiled slightly at me. I felt a tear roll down my right cheek. I didn't know when I had been crying or for how long. Before another tear started to fall, his left hand brushed against my cheek. My eyebrows loosened up and I felt a warm sensation in my chest. In the glazing moonlight, Mustang looked even more attractive than usual. His raven-colored hair and eyes complimented the night while his gleaming face had a contrasting effect and stood out.

"We should get going now," he said and helped me get up.

"Tell me where you're currently staying and I'll drop you off" he said and started to lead me to his black car.

"Mustang," I called and tugged the sleeve of his hand, "I-I don't have a place to live yet. I used to live at Tucker's house, but he..."

He brought his hand up to his chin and pondered for a while.

"Well, I can't just leave you here. You can stay in my house for tonight and we can arrange something tomorrow."

As I didn't have any other option, I agreed and followed him silently into the car. Before he sat down on the seat to drive, Mustang said with a kind smile, "And you don't need to call me Mustang. Call me Roy."

* * *

 **Oh snap! Maya's staying at Roy's house? She is finally going to fall for Roy now?**


	8. Two Faces of a Coin

**Hello!**

 **I am so exited for these next few chapters since Maya and Mustang are going to be spending a lot of time together :)**

 **Their interaction is bitter-sweet at the first since they're just getting to know each other. Personally, this part is very fun to write since both the characters are trying to figure out whether they hate each other or like each other. It's like Tom and Jerry!**

 **As always, have a wonderful day and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter VIII - Two Faces of a Coin**

I sat on the soft mattress and rested my back against the wall. Then I turned my head at the window beside me and saw the moon shining bright against the starless sky. From the eighth floor, the cars and the trees looked like miniature toys. Despite it being an apartment, Roy's home was spacious with three bedrooms, a kitchen, and some other rooms that I hadn't looked at yet. The bedroom I was given had a green wallpaper and wooden flooring. The bed was placed in the corner near the window and was followed by two wardrobes, a mirror, and a closet.

One of the wardrobes had a photograph placed on top of it. As I saw earlier, it was a picture of an elderly woman with black hair and slightly tan skin. She was wearing a purple dress, a pearl and gold necklace, and black coat that was lined with white fur. Her outfit and the cigarette in her mouth indicated that she might be of higher status. From the way the photo was framed and set on the wardrobe, I assumed she might be meaning a lot to Roy. This made me remember my family and I hugged my knees and stared at the photograph in front of me.

"May I come in?" Roy said as he knocked on the door.

The door was already open, so I nodded. He noticed me staring at the photograph and said, "That's my aunt, Chris Mustang. She was also my foster mother."

I faked a smile at him and went back to hugging my knees. The mattress beside me sank down and I noticed that he was sitting down on the bed.

"You'll find your family soon, Maya" he said.

I saw that his kind eyes were on me as I tilted my head to look at him. Something about him calmed me down. I smiled at him and said, "Yeah, I just hope it's not too late."

We sat there for a while, looking outside the window. None of us spoke as we both sank deep into our thoughts. My eyelids soon began to shut as I drifted into sleep.

* * *

" _No, no," dad exclaimed, "she's not ready yet! Give her some time."_

 _I closed my left eye and tried to see through the peephole of the door with my right eye._

 _A woman with black curly hair and pale skin stared angrily at dad with her purple eyes. She was wearing a kale green colored dress with black leggings and black boots. There was an enigmatic tattoo on the center of her neck, between both of her collarbones. Two red upside down triangles were surrounded by red dragon wings._

" _My master said she wants her and it has to be done soon" she said, emphasizing the last word._

" _Yes, soon, yes!" I heard a man say as he walked and stood near the woman. He was very large in size and had tan skin with no hair on his head. He wore a black shirt and a black pant. When he spoke, his stuck out his tongue between his large teeth and revealed a tattoo similar to the one the woman had._

" _Just don't take her away yet," mom said, "she's not ready!"_

" _If you don't let her go, the master will get her herself. We homunculi need her for our survival" the woman said._

 _When mom and dad didn't respond, the woman struck out her hand in front of her face. Her fingers suddenly became long and pointy and went towards my parents to strike them. When they screamed with shock, she stopped only a few inches from their body._

" _That was only a warning," the woman said, her face expressionless, "next time I'll really stab you. Come on Gluttony, let's go"_

" _But I wanted to eat them, Lust" the man said as he licked his lips._

 _As both of them turned their backs to mom and dad, dad grabbed a knife and went to stab the woman. She caught the knife between her fingers calmly and stroke dad's arm with her long fingers just as quickly. Dad's one arm was hooked up to the wall and was dripping in blood where her fingers had been._

 _I panicked and yelled, "Dad!"_

 _The man and the woman went out the door, but I kept on screaming._

* * *

 **Roy's POV**

I woke up to the sound of someone screaming. I lifted my blanket and looked at the clock. _It's 3:30 am. What's happening at this time of the hour?_

I heard another scream coming from the bedroom next to mine and rushed to get there. I pulled the door open and saw Maya screaming on top of her lungs. Her hands were clenched into fists beside her and tears were continuously streaming from her eyes.

I tried shaking her, but she didn't wake up. I held one of her hands into mine and stroked her hair to calm her down.

"Everything is okay, Maya. I'm right here."

 **Maya's POV**

I felt a hand gliding on top of my head and another gently holding my palm. I looked up from my eyes that were blurred with tears and saw Roy sitting by my bed. I was covered in a blanket and my head was supported by a pillow. _When did I pull on the blanket? When had I slept?_

"Everything is okay, Maya. I'm right here" he said.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up on the bed. My breathing was very heavy and my head was aching.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"You were screaming when I came in," Roy said, "Looks like you were having a nightmare."

"I-I saw that my-my dad was stabbed in the hand by some homunculi" I remembered.

Roy's eyebrows rose up and his eyes returned to their serious look.

"Do you remember if this actually happened?"

"I don't know," I confessed, "What I saw seemed so real. But I don't remember this actually happening when I was in New York."

"My dad did say he injured his hand by falling down the stairs, but I don't think it was the homunculi." _It's as if the same incident has two different versions. My dad had injured his arm, but by falling down or by being stabbed by the woman? It's like there're two sides to the coin..._

"Must have been just a nightmare then," Roy said, "you were thinking about your parents before you went to sleep and possibly about alchemy."

"Yeah, you're probably right..."

"Get good sleep now. You're part of the military and have to report early tomorrow."

I sank back into the mattress and covered myself with the blanket as Roy left the room and closed the bedroom door behind him.

* * *

 **Roy's POV**

After I put on my uniform and combed my hair, I walked to the kitchen for breakfast. I had lots of things to take care of, and I wanted to be early to start my work. _The earlier I finish the work, the sooner I'll go on a date with the woman I met near the bakery yesterday._

 _Smash. Thud._ I heard falling noises coming from the kitchen and walked faster towards it. _Thud._

At the center of the kitchen, Maya was sitting there with her hands to her sides. Many plates had fallen on top of her, along with spoons, sugar, and flour. Her hair was white from the contents that had emptied on her and she let out a nervous smile when she saw me. _What am I going to do with this girl?_

 **Maya's POV**

Roy brought his hand up to his face and shaked his head in frustration as he closed his eyes.

"What did you do?" he asked while trying to control his anger.

"I was ju-just about to cook pancakes. I opened the upper cabinet and went to get the flour, but..."

He let out an irritated sigh and looked at me again. "You didn't ruin anything else right?"

I was about to protest and say I didn't _ruin_ anything, when I heard a slight explosion behind me. I turned my head and saw that the omelette that I had attempted to cook had caught fire and was burning with intensity. I quickly kept the plates aside and turned my head towards the fire. I let the blue light flow from my hands and extinguished the fire with alchemy. When there were no more traces of fire, I looked back at Roy. He was staring at me with annoyance and hatred clearly visible in his eyes. It's as if he was the hunter and I was his prey. _You're going to get killed, Maya._

"It was just an accident. I was just cooking breakfast..."

When he didn't respond, I started picking up the plates and spoons that had fallen on the floor. He watched silently as I cleaned the floor and got rid of the flour and sugar on it. I threw the burned omelette in the trash and washed the frying pan.

"I can cook something el-"

"No, you go change into your uniform," he interrupted, "I'll cook something for the both of us."

Keeping my eyes to the ground, I walked out the kitchen door. All the while I felt his eyes staring at me.

* * *

We rode to the headquarters silently in the black car. Neither of us had talked after I screwed up in the kitchen. Roy had made us waffles with maple syrup and french toast that was coated with sugar. He had served strawberries and pieces of banana to the side. Although I was delighted by the tasty breakfast, I felt guilty since I didn't make anything. _It's not my fault. Mom and dad had never let me cook. They said I shouldn't be near the fire...They didn't even let me see movies with fire in it. Why were they so strict about shielding me from fire?_

As we got to the office, Roy sat down on his chair and glared at me as I stood near it.

"Roy, are you going to tell me how to get back to my worl-"

"That's later. First, I want you to organize Tucker's research with Edward."

"But you said-"

"Do as you're told, Maya."

I stared back at him, but averted my eyes after a while since it was too awkward.

"Okay..."

"Good."

I turned and headed towards the door, when Roy said, "And when you're at work, I'm Colonel Mustang to you, not Roy. Understood?"

I stared at the door while my back faced him and said, "Yes sir."

 _It's like he has two different personalities. One that's like a friend and one that's like a hunter that can kill you at any moment. Every coin has two faces..._


	9. Philosopher's Stone

**Chapter IX - Philosopher's Stone**

I went to the room where the military had kept Tucker's research and found Ed and Al already organizing the materials. Al was on the left, organizing the books and research papers, while Ed sat beside the dangerous creatures and studied them.

"Hey guys, how're you doing?" I asked.

Ed attempted to forge a smile while Al said, "Pretty good."

Since I didn't want to look at the animals in the cages, I started helping Al organize the papers.

"Any news about Nina's killer and Tucker?" I asked.

"The military tried to cover Tucker up!" Ed exclaimed suddenly, "They just shot him without a trial in the court!"

After recovering from Ed's sudden outburst, I muttered, "They just executed him?..."

"Look, brother," Al said, "Tucker has so much about the philosopher's stone in his research."

"Enough, Al. That stone is just a myth. It's doesn't exist" Ed said.

"But if it does, we can do so much with it. Almost anything can be accomplished with it!"

I said, "Isn't philosopher's stone the red stone that gives you unimaginable powers?" I had read about it while studying for the Alchemy Exam.

"Yeah," Ed said, "But don't be foolish, you two. It's just a myth!"

"But what if it actually exists, Ed" I said, "Then we can do the impossible with that. And I can go back to my world..."

"It's just a myth, Maya" Ed said and stood up to storm out of the room.

"Wait, where're you going, brother?"

"I'm done with this. I'm going to find Nina's killer."

Al followed Ed out of the room and I remained where I as. I knew _Colonel Mustang_ wouldn't let them go and find Nina's killer at this time. Besides, he was already busy in finding a serial killer that's been killing women.

So for the next few hours, I just sat in the room, organizing Tucker's research and reading more about the philosopher's stone. Once, I came across a drawing that had the title 'Philosopher's Stone' on it. The artist had drawn a shiny red stone and beside it was a test tube filled with red liquid. It looked as if the stone could be in solid or liquid form. The more I looked at the solid version of the drawing, the more it seemed like I had seen it before. _Was this the stone that the old woman had given me before I entered Amestris? If it is, then it definitely exists and I can use this to get back. If only I knew where to find it..._

* * *

I entered Colonel Mustang's office and found him talking with someone on the phone. His back was facing me, so I just stood there waiting for him to end his call.

"Yeah, this evening would be fine...Yeah...Yeah, see you in an hour."

He kept his phone down and turned to look at me.

"Yes, Maya? Have you done what you were told?"

"Yes, I have organized Tucker's research. Now can I go home early today? I have to collect my monthly wage from the gardener and then I don't have to trouble you anymore. I can free you and leave your house."

"Oh," he raised his eyebrows, "Where're you going to go?"

"I'll rent a room in a motel or something. Anyway, can I go now?"

Colonel Mustang grabbed his coat and walked towards me, "I'll drop you at the gardener's shop. I have to go somewhere nearby."

"Where're you going?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at me, as if indicating that I shouldn't be asking this.

"Well?"

He signed, "I have an important meeting with someone."

* * *

Colonel Mustang dropped me off at the shop and parked his car nearby. He then went near a movie theater. _Meeting in a movie theater? Why do I care?_

I opened the door of the shop and entered inside. There was no one at the front desk, so I called her, "Mrs. Green?"

I called her a few more times and when she didn't respond, I went over to the greenhouse to see if she's in there. I tried to turn the doorknob, and to my surprize, it was open. _Mrs. Green is usually not this careless to leave the door open._ I went inside and searched between the rows of flowers and plants, but didn't find her. _Something's wrong. She wouldn't leave all the doors open like this._ I tried calling her cellphone, but she didn't pick it up. I decided to call her home phone, but when I did, her husband said that she's at the shop.

I went outside to look for Colonel Mustang and tell him about Mrs. Green. There were many people standing in front of the movie theatre now, many of whom were couples. I spotted him at the center of the crowd, looking at his phone. As I was about to get there, a young woman came and shaked his hands repeatedly. _Wow, this is such an important meeting, Colonel Mustang._ From her gleaming eyes and overexcited gestures, I was sure the woman had fallen for him. _But this is not the same one that he went to the restaurant with. God, this guy changes dates too often!_

As I was about to approach the _couple_ , they went inside the theatre and were gone. I decided to walk and head back to the headquarters to find out if the gardener had been missing for a while. I started walking on the sidewalk, when a certain truck caught my eye. It was the same delivery truck that always came to deliver meat to the restaurant two blocks away from the garden shop. _Maybe the delivery truck driver has seen Mrs. Green today._

I went over to the truck and looked through the front window to see if someone was inside. A woman with brown hair sat on the driver's seat and got down to talk to me when I gestured her to. The woman was wearing a green dress and walked in an odd manner as she came to me.

"Hi, do you happen to know if the gardener came to the shop today?" I asked.

"Yes, I had seen her today" she replied. Her voice seemed too hoarse, as if she had a sore throat.

"Do you know where she is right now? Because I looked for her in her shop and called her home, but she's not there"

"Well, I don't know about now, but she was meeting with the manager of the restaurant sometime ago."

"Oh. Thank you." I said and started walking towards the restaurant, when the woman called behind me, "I can give you his contact."

I looked back and saw her unlocking the back of the truck with her key.

I went back to the truck and she said, "There's a paper with the phone number of the manager inside the truck. You can go and get it."

"Thanks" I said and stepped inside the back of the truck to look for the paper. I searched everywhere, but couldn't find it. I was about to turn my head and ask the woman, when something strong hit my head. I felt my head throb with pain and my eyelids shut down.

* * *

When I opened my eyes slowly, I saw a young blond girl sitting in front of me. Both of her hands were chained together by handcuffs and a piece of cloth was strapped over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. She was looking at me with her frightened blue eyes. As I tried to move to help her, I realized that my hands were clasped to the wall with chains and my feet were tied together by a rope. A piece of cloth similar to the one holding the girl was tied to my mouth. I looked at my surroundings to see where we were and saw several pieces of butchered animals hanging beside us.

Someone appeared through the shadows and I saw that it was the woman from the truck. _She had kidnapped us? But why?_ She came towards me and smiled, while her amused eyes stared curiously at me.

"Word is on that you and another brat can transmute without a circle. And you are able to use water! Well, aren't you going to do alchemy and free yourself?" she said.

I struggled to pull my hand into a position to do alchemy, but felt pieces of wire tied of my fingers, making it impossible to move them.

"Oh sorry, I forgot. You can't do alchemy now. Your fingers are restrained!"

"But don't worry. As soon as I'm done with you, you will be able to meet the gardener...In your deathbed!"

She gestured at the blond girl and said, "And you will also go with them, dear!"

She was giggling for a few minutes and soon I found her laughing on top of her lungs. Her hoarse, monstrous laugh made me want to wish I was deaf. She walked back to the shadows, and was gone.

* * *

After several minutes, I heard the sound of a chainsaw and later someone's voice. The kidnapper seemed to be talking to someone. Because of the shadows and the meat that were hanging everywhere, I couldn't see what was going at the other end of the room. _But the voice seems familiar though..._

The woman suddenly came up to me and smirked slightly. Then without freeing my hands, she glided me with the chains and brought me and the blond girl to the other end of the room. On a wooden chair in front of me, I saw Ed sitting there, while his one hand was tied to the chair and the other arm, the mechanical one, was sitting on top of the kidnapper's desk.

"Please, let me introduce myself," the kidnapper said, "My name is Barry and this is my butcher's shop!"

The kidnapper removed the brown wig to reveal the short blond hair.

"You're not a girl! You're a guy!" Ed shouted.

"Guilty as charged! And to award you for making this far, we have special guests, Ed," Barry said and pointed towards me and the blond girl, "Maya and Winry!"

"Let them go!" Ed said.

"Why, I just got them! Oh, how I'll enjoy taking them apart!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because I enjoy it. The first person I killed was my wife. After I sliced her piece by piece, I wanted more!"

Barry walked up to Ed with his chainsaw and stuck it in his arm. Blood dripped from Ed's shoulder and he closed his eyes to prevent the tears from flowing. Winry and I tried to scream at the same time, but the cloth on our mouths prevented it. As Barry was distracted with Ed, I tried to free my fingers from the wire that held them. I pulled on to the wire with all my might, to the point where fresh blood flowed between my fingers. _Snap._ I finally freed my fingers from the wire and let the blue light shine from my hand. The water from my alchemy flowed first to my hand, then my feet, and then to Winry.

After getting Winry outside, I searched for Ed and found him battling to get away from Barry, who was chasing him with his butcher knife. I grabbed Ed's mechanical hand from the desk and tossed it to Ed by using water alchemy. Ed grabbed the arm just in time and screamed loudly as he joined it back to his shoulder. His hand changed into a spear-like shape and was about to hit the butcher, when Al laid a shoulder on Ed's back and stopped him. _When had Al come here?_ As Ed didn't know Al was behind him, Ed struck out his hand tried to stab Al with it.

"It would require more than that to kill me, brother" Al said.

Just after that, many officers came and held out a gun on Barry's head.

"Don't move!" one officer said to Barry.

Barry just sat there on the ground and shamelessly stroke a pose, as if imitating a person who had just won an olympic medal.

It turns out that Major Hughes had seen the truck going in this place and had brought many officers with him. After all the officers had stormed into the butcher shop and investigated, Al, Ed, and I sat at the front gate.

"You know, the philosopher's stone might just be real brother" Al said.

"Guys," I said, "I'm pretty sure it's real. I think I've seen it before."

The Elric brothers shot their heads quickly towards me as shock spread across their faces.

"Before I came into this world, an old woman had given me a ring with a red stone. It might have been the philosopher's stone and it might have been the one that brought me to Amestris."

"If what Maya's saying is true, then we can get my body and your arm back, brother!" Al said.

"What do you mean body and arm back?" I asked.

The brothers looked at each other and Ed said, "A couple of months ago, our mother died, so we attempted to bring her back by using human transmutation."

I gasped and said, "And you managed to survive such a dangerous experiment?"

"Yes," Al said, "But I lost my body and brother lost his arm. The philosopher's stone is the only one that can get us back."

"If you don't have a body, Al, then how are you able to..."

"My soul is bound to the armor."

"Oh...Do you guys have any idea how to find the philosopher's stone?"

"Mr. Bradly was saying this afternoon that only the state alchemists have access to the library where there's information about the philosopher's stone."

"Great," I said, "We can start the investigation soon then."

The Elric brothers nodded and we sat there silently for a while.

"Your girlfriend is pretty, Ed!" I said.

"Girlfriend? Who are you talking about?"

"How many girlfriends do you have, Ed? Of course I'm talking about Winry."

Ed clenched his fists and tried to hide his face that was glowing red in the twilight. "She's not my girlfriend!"

"Sure, that's what you say, but we all know how you feel about her deep inside!"

I spotted Colonel Mustang coming out of the butcher's shop and heading back to his car. I called him and went near him.

"What are you talking about, Maya?!" Ed called, "Come back here!"

Mustang turned around and faced me, with an amused look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, I was almost slaughtered by Barry the butcher. Anyway, did you happen to find Mrs. Green as one of the victims of Barry's psychotic assault?"

"Mrs. Green? Ah, yes. She was one of them."

 _Just as I thought. She was a kind woman though. That son-of-a-b*tch Barry better be punished for this._

"Did she mean anything to you?"

"She was the gardener I used to work for."

"Ah, I see. You can't get your pay now and stay at a motel, can you?"

"No, I can't..."

He smirked slightly at me and said, "Well, tell me where to drop you, since you wanted to free me and move out of my house from today."

I stared at him and finally said, "I suppose I can bother you for some more days. Until the military pays me for this month, at least."

I smiled at him and started opening the door to get into his car.

Before I sat down on the seat, he said, "One condition. You're not allowed to cook in the kitchen."

* * *

 **Sorry I couldn't do much OC X Roy in this scene. I'll make it up on the next chapter!**


	10. Feelings

**Hey guys! Hope you're having a wonderful day!**

 **Ed: Maya's having a wonderful day! *smirks* Right Maya?**

 **Maya: What're you implying Ed?**

 **Ed: You know, you're staying at Mustang's house now. So you're kinda his GIRLFRIEND**

 **Maya: *kills Ed in her mind, but blushes at the same time* Like how Winry is your girlfriend?**

 **Ed: Winry's not my-**

 **Me: Stop it, people. Maya, you're Mustang's lover and Ed, Winry is your lover. I already shipped you guys.**

 **Maya: But I don't have any feelings for Roy! Ed: Winry is NOT my girlfriend**

 **Me: *evil laugh* We'll see about that!**

* * *

 **Chapter X - Feelings**

 **Roy's POV**

The howling breeze and the crickets chirping were the only sounds radiating from the balcony into the living room. I went over to close the balcony door and spotted Maya leaning against the railing. Her lavender nightgown came just above her knees and swayed in harmony with the breeze. When the wind sped up and threatened to expose her thighs, she pulled on to her white cardigan. Her long black hair was dancing in the wind, with some of her curly blue tips bouncing beside her waist.

I walked up to stand to her left and followed her gaze as she stared into the night. A man, woman, and a little girl were coming into the apartment's front gate. The girl was holding a balloon and wearing a party hat. I looked back at Maya and saw her smile disappear.

I wanted to hold her into my arms, tell her that she'll find her family soon. I wanted to wipe the tiny droplets that were hanging loose near the corner of her eyes. I longed to feel my hands inside her hair, on her lower back. I wanted to lift her chin up and kiss her forehead as I tell her that everything is fine. As I did this, I wanted her smile.

 _It hurts to see you cry, Maya._

 **Maya's POV**

 _The little girl's lucky. She has her family._ I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. The moon was way up in the dark sky. As I turned to my left to head back to my room, my face bumped against someone's chest. I looked up to see Roy's chin brushing the top of my head. His warm breath hit my forehead as he looked down at me. I was reminded of the first day we had met, when he had saved me from those men. His body was close to mine as he had placed a tender kiss on my lips. My cheeks flushed and I stepped back and looked at the ground.

"You look like a bright red cherry, Maya," he smirked. "Were you remembering our first kiss?"

"W-What are you talking about?!" I lied, "I wasn't thinking anything like that!"

"And besides, that doesn't count as a kiss. I only wanted to escape from those idiots who were following us."

"Really? Shall we begin our first kiss now, then?" He moved a little closer to me, but not too close to get into my personal bubble.

"Stand back, you pervert! I know karate and alchemy and I'm not afraid to use either of those!" I brought my hands in front of me to make them my shield. His teasing smile disappeared when he saw the red cloth draped around my fingers and my hand. My fingers were still bleeding from when I had pulled the wire at Barry-the-mad-idiot's butcher shop. "Why does this girl always get herself into trouble?" I heard Roy mutter.

I flinched when he took my hands in his, but didn't snatch them away.

"Come sit in the living room. I'll get some fresh bandages" he said. I was going to protest since I was sure they were going to heal soon, but he had already gone to get the first aid box. When he came back, he carefully took off the previous cloth and wrapped a new bandage around the wound. He handled them too gently, as if my hands were made of glass. His close proximity made me blush again. _Come on, Maya. He is not the only attractive man you have ever seen. Snap out of it._

"You tied the first bandage by yourself? Even when all of your fingers were injured?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm used to tying bandages...Either I got hurt too often, or...or my parents were injured too often."

I remembered the times my parents came with an injured hand or a leg. It was almost every week. Sometimes they said they fell down the stairs. Sometimes they said they injured it in the lab when working on experiments. They always worked on experiments. Especially with a red liquid. I sneaked into their lab once and tried to figure out what it was. Despite my degree as a chemist, its composition were mysterious to me. It was a shame, really.

After he was finished cleaning up my wound, he stood up and looked into my eyes before saying, "Goodnight, Maya"

"Goodnight." I replied as stood up with him. My eyes widened as he suddenly pulled a strand of my hair that was hanging over my eyes and tucked it back behind my ear. He turned around and before he left, he said, "Try not to injure yourself again, okay?"

 _Like I purposely injure myself._

* * *

"You two have been given official titles by Fuhrer Bradley" Mustang said as he pulled out two pieces of paper from a folder.

Colonel Mustang handed one certificate to me and other to Ed. _We Give the name 'Water' to thee, Maya Starling, in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley._ I looked at Ed's certificate to see he was given the title 'Fullmetal'.

 _Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric. Water Alchemist Maya Starling._

* * *

It's good to have a day off once in awhile. Especially when you want to find out a way to go to your world, but the military strangles you with meaningless work needed to be done each day. And especially if your boss is a strikingly handsome man, but also a lion ready to leap on you at any movement. Having a break gives you a chance to contemplate about your confused feelings. And allows you be to alone, away from that mean-but-sometimes-nice boss of yours.

I looked at the living room, satisfied with my cleaning. I was bored, so giving the living room a shine seemed like a good plan to pass my time.

Until I noticed the photograph.

On the shelf with the glass doors, a picture of a woman was placed inside a black frame. It was the same woman from the restaurant that Roy had met with earlier. _Why is_ _ **her**_ _photo here? I thought this guy just changes dates and never talks to the same woman again._

"Maya! We're here, let's go!" Winry burst into the living room as soon as she opened the door. Ed and Al followed behind her.

"What happened to you? You look quite upset" Ed said as he stared at my eyebrows that were pulled together in the center of my forehead.

I looked away from the photograph and forced a smile. "It's nothing, guys. I'm not upset. I'll get ready and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Before I went to my room though, Winry grabbed my hand. "What's wrong, Maya? Won't you tell me?"

Winry was like a little sister that I always wanted. So my mouth started working before my brain did. "The girl in this photograph." I pointed at it. "She went on a date with Roy before, but I'm not really sure if he's still into her..."

"I told you, brother!" Al said, "Maya always stares at Mustang whenever she's with him."

Ed smirked, "Someone's getting jealous!"

"This is the beginning of an everlasting love!" Winry's eyes gleamed at me.

"Stop it, you guys!" I said, "I just wanted to know this because he bosses me around at the office so much. I just wanted to use his weakness against him."

"Whatever you say, Maya," Ed said, "But we all know how you really feel about him deep inside." _Why do I feel like I'm experiencing deja vu? Oh right! I had said the same thing to him about Winry._

I gave Ed a cold glare and before I could protest about his comment, Winry grabbed my hands. "Don't worry, Maya. When we go shopping, we can buy you a pretty dress that will make Mustang unable to take his eyes off of you!"

"That's not necessary. I don't want to impress-" Winry pushed me into my bedroom and closed the door before I finished my sentence. "Get ready quickly, we'll be waiting outside!"

* * *

I grabbed my purse before exiting the house and locking the door. The military had given me money after I had received my official title.

" _You can stay a little longer in my apartment, if you want"_ Roy had said, " _It will take some time to find a good motel. And besides, you need your money for other things."_

I had decided to agree with him for the time being. _It's not like I'm going to stay here forever anyway. I'll be going back to my world soon. Until then, I want to be with him..._

We soon reached a street with many stores along the sides. There were mechanical stores, jewelry stores, shoe stores, clothing stores, and many more. I eyes were drawn to a blue dress at a shop and I raced towards it.

 **No One's POV**

Al and Ed stood shocked in the center of the street as the two women in front of them hurriedly ran inside different stores. The blond girl ran into a mechanical store and came back with three bags of materials like screwdrivers and bolts. The one with black and blue hair went to a clothing shop and returned with several bags of dresses and skirts. The Elric brothers watched as both the ladies went to the next store of their choice and repeated the process.

"Wonder why women shopping so much!" Ed laughed nervously.

"Yeah," Al agreed, "How do they not get bored?"

A black car stopped beside the brothers and Lieutenant Havoc stepped outside. To Ed, he said, "Colonel Mustang wants to meet you right now. He has a new mission for you."

Ed nodded and told Al to take Winry and Maya back home before sitting into the car with Havoc. The car took off as Ed and Al wondered what the new mission was and whether it will help the brothers get the philosopher's stone.

* * *

 **Maya's POV**

It was 10:15 pm and I hurried to set up the table. _Roy will be here in any minute._ I had washed the white plates with blue borders and placed them neatly. They had a unique design to them that reminded me of water. I opened the left cabinet and found transparent wine glasses. I put them next to the fork, on the black dinner table that was draped with a new white and black table cloth, to my courtesy.

I heard a the sound of a car being parked outside and I panicked. I quickly fixed my hair that was straightened. Some of the strands on the left side were braided and held together to the rest of the hair with a black clip. I looked at myself in the mirror and my eyes examined my blue dress. It was a semi-casual dress with heart-shaped neckline and a high-low bottom. _Hope this is not too fancy._ Winry had planned everything out, from the dress, to the table cloth, to the food.

" _He'll think of it as a date!"_ I had said, horrified by Winry's idea.

" _No he won't. Just say that you went shopping after a long time and bought all of these."_

 _"You and Ed should do something like this too!"_ I had said, _"You guys looked so cute together, today. Holding hands and Ed buying you whatever you want."_

 _"W-What? We're just friends"_ Winry had said as she turned away to hide her red face.

 _"But you're right have him buying me whatever I want. Even though I shopped so much, he was generous. Sure, he can be a idiot sometimes, but he can be nice too."_

Winry's statement made me smile. Winry and Ed complemented each other so well. As they were childhood friends, they knew each other's every need. I had never found anyone like that so far, despite being a little over twenty years old.

 _Tweek. Tweek._ The doorbell rang too suddenly and the glass wine slipped from my hands. _Crap. This doorbell has a weird ring to it_. I walked out of the dining hall and into the living room to open the door. "What was that noise, Maya? Did you break-" Mustang started to say as he stepped inside, but stopped when he got a better look at me.

* * *

 **Sorry for the cliffhanger! This chapter was too long so I stopped it here.**


	11. Past, Present, and Future

**So I decided to add a little poem at the beginning. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _Forever", by Terri Nicole Tharrington_

 _Forever we remain oblivious to the future,_

 _lost to the past and enduring our torture._

 _Forever we take chances to settle our scores,_

 _losing some battles and winning some wars._

 _Forever praying out loud hoping someone will hear,_

 _forever crying softly but never shedding a tear._

 _Forever exists behind a disguise,_

 _but the belief in forever keeps our hearts alive._

 **Chapter XI - Past, Present, and Future**

 **Roy's POV**

I heard the noise of something breaking as I rang the doorbell. _Hope that girl didn't try to cook again_. Maya opened the door and I was about to scold her, but I stopped mid-sentence when I took a better look at her.

She was wearing a light-blue dress that was flirtatious and endearing. The top had a heart shape to it, which exposed her shoulders and made her womanly features protrude more. Trying to control my face from flushing, I tore my eyes from the top of her dress. This only led my eyes to wander on her exposed thighs. The back of the dress was long, but the front was extremely short, making her alluring legs clearly visible.

I tried to control my thoughts and gave her a confused look. Her eyes stared at me curiously, as if waiting for a response. I noticed that her lips were carved into a smile. My heart thumped at the sight of her joy. _This is the first time I have actually seen this girl smile_. When I smiled back at her, she froze and her cheeks burned up. _How endearing_. When she went to close the door behind me, her chest bounced side to side and quickened my heartbeat more. _Why am I affected by her so much? I have been with many women before..._

 **Maya's POV**

"Did you break-" Roy started to say, but stopped and did a double-take as he looked at me. My breathing sped up as I realized that he was staring at my dress. Not sure what to do, I twirled my hair with my fingers as I tried to control myself from smiling. _Winry was right. The color of this dress is so pretty that it complements my mid-night blue hair and makes me stand out._ Roy smiled at me, which caused a current of electricity to run down my spine. _I have never seen him smile in such a way before. He looks so handsome when he smiles_. I closed the door, and without thinking, I said, "You know, you don't look so bad when you smile. You should do it often."

"You look beautiful when you smile too, Maya" he said, facing me. Eager to hide my red face, I took his coat and turned my back to him. As I was hanging his coat in the closet next to the shoe rack, I felt him get closer to me. Soon, his warm breath was on my ear as he whispered in a low voice, "Why are you dressed so flirtatiously, Maya?"

My head spun rapidly to face him while my eyes widened with shock. It was a mistake, though. The moment I faced him, the tip of his nose was touching mine. I was reminded of his erotic sent once again and my body refused to move. _Come one, Maya. What's wrong with you?_

My body finally responded to my mind as I stepped back and said, "W-What are you talking about, Roy? I just went shopping with Winry, Al, and Ed today. Winry was the one who suggested me to buy this dress!"

I ran towards the dining hall and called, "Dinner is ready, so come soon." At this, Roy caught up with me and spoke while raising his eyebrows. "Did you try cooking again?" _God, this guy goes from looking like prince charming to the evil queen in just a second._

"No, I brought food from outside since I figured you'll be too tired to cook after getting back home."

His expression loosed and he went to his room to freshen up. "You're welcome, Roy" I called.

* * *

"Thanks for bringing the food, Maya" Roy said as he sat down on the table. I had brought chocolate cake for dessert, since it was my favorite.

"You're welcome. I felt bad for creating a mess in your kitchen the first day, anyway."

Roy stopped eating and looked at me. "If I may ask, why don't to know how to cook, Maya? Surely there might be many instances where you had to stay away from your parents for a little while."

I looked down at my hands and thought for a while. Finally, I said, "For some reason, my parents didn't let me anywhere near fire. They said it was...dangerous for me. They didn't even let me see movies with fire in them." _Why am I telling him everything? I haven't told this to anyone_.

"You've never actually been near a fire before?"

I thought back to the time when I was in 6th grade, when we used to live in Arizona. We used to go camping in the woods often there. Until a forest fire changed everything. "When I was young, I was trapped in a forest fire before..." Roy's forehead resorted to a frown. It was as if he was concerned. He didn't ask me, however; and he respectively waited for me to continue.

"I saw a forest fire from my house one day and...and something made me follow it. I know it sounds crazy, but I was drawn towards it. I went near the fire and touched it. Luckily, dad came and picked me up. The next day, my hands were burned from the fire and I had fever. But the unusual part was that some of my hair had turned blue in color. Mom cut it off and it grew black again."

Roy rubbed his hands on his chin and said, "From that day on, your parents didn't let you near fire..."

"Yeah..."

"But I don't understand how my hair turned blue again. And this time my eyes have also turned blue..." I said.

"When did you notice this change?"

"After-After the night I first met you."

"Makes sense. I used fire alchemy that night."

I looked down at my lap as my eyebrows wove together at the center of my forehead. I felt a hand squeeze mine gently and I looked up at Roy. "Don't worry, Maya. I won't let anything happen to you."

My heart skipped a beat and I gave Roy a smile.

* * *

"You should wear this dress more often, Maya. You look quite beautiful" Roy said as he sat on the sofa beside me.

"Really? But I don't think I'm as beautiful as that girl" I said and pointed to the photo of the girl whom he had spent time in the restaurant with. _Why did you say that, Maya? Kill me now!_

"I suppose not" he said. I looked at him with my mouth hung open. _And to think I wore this dress, brought this food, and did all this just for you_.

"I was just joking, Maya." I narrowed my eyes and looked at him suspiciously for a while. _Seems unlike him to be joking_.

"But I thought she was your girlfriend. Shouldn't you think of her as more pretty?"

"Well, she's not really my girlfriend. I just dated her once, but that's about it." _What do you mean_ _ **about**_ _it?_

"Then why is her photograph standing there?"

"She came to my house once, and might have left it here." _She lived in this house?_ My heart sank and I got up to go to my room. His hand held on to my wrist and stopped me. "Did you have a boyfriend in your world?" he asked, his voice softer.

"N-No. I have never had a boyfriend before" I confessed and sat back down on the sofa. Roy blinked at me several times before muttering, "So she's a..."

My face flushed and I wanted to yell at Roy for being such a idiot, but I couldn't. Remembering the past hurt a lot. "Hey, what's wrong?" Roy asked.

"Everytime...everytime I liked a guy or he liked me...something disastrous would happen..."

"The first time I liked a boy, he...he died mysteriously the next day. News got out that he was probably stabbed by an animal with long nails."

"And everytime after that, either deaths or accidents would ensue. Everyone was scared of me after that...Wish I could change that. But some things cannot be changed..."

"Yeah..." Roy said, sounding lost in thought. I put my hand on his and gave him a questioned look. "Wish I could have changed something too..." he said.

"I fought a war for the military before and killed several innocent people...Wish I could change that."

"But you were ordered to. You didn't seem to be having a choice. Don't worry about it, Roy." He looked at me and gave me a small smile.

"So, you had only your family since everyone was scared of you right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I had only a few friends. My parents were the only ones who were always there for me...That's why I want to go back to them."

I felt a hand envelope my right shoulder. Comforted by him, I leaned back and buried my head in Roy's chest. "You will go back to them, Maya" he whispered.

"I also spoke with Ed today and wanted to tell you about the new mission." My eyes widened and I looked up at him. "You'll travel to the gold mines first, and then Lior to complete a task for the military and look for the philosopher's stone."

I threw my arms around Roy and hugged him. "Thank you so much Roy! I'll finally find out about the philosopher's stone!"

He seemed startled by my sudden outburst at first, but hugged me back later. I drew back from the embrace, but buried my face in his chest as his hand was still wrapped around my shoulders. For some time, everything was silent except for the sound of his breathing. I had never felt this peaceful from being near someone before. I felt happy. It was as if all my worries, all my fears, would go away if I stayed like this with him. A smile spread across my face as my eyes drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **Maya sure has a really mysterious past!**

 **Please review!**


	12. Gold Mines and Silly Bribes

**I made this chapter extra long since it didn't make sense to split it into two. If your Friday the 13th was really bad today, here is a chapter full of love just for you! (If you don't know what Friday the 13th is, it's basically considered a really bad day. I don't know if people think this in other countries outside 'Merica)**

 **By the way, my Friday the 13th was bad at first since it started raining today! The past few days had been really sunny and summer-ish but this rain was awful. When it comes to rain, I'm kinda like Mustang. I hate it! Anyway, today turned out good at the end since I got to spend time writing my next chapter on my fanfiction!**

 **Even if today was not so great for you, keep smiling! I'm sure you look beautiful when you smile! (I look like a potato when I smile, but at least I know that I'm a beautiful potato)**

 **I realized that I messed up Yoki's name, so I edited it now :P**

* * *

 **Chapter XII - Gold Mines and Silly Bribes**

 **Roy's POV**

Her scent. Her enticing scent. I inhaled deeper as her aromatic scent filled the air and she sat leaning against my chest. I couldn't quite describe her smell, but it was sweet, and so lovely. She smelled of soft roses and lilacs, but also of lime, and something sharp and seductive. _She has never had a boyfriend before_. I recalled and smiled internally. She was like a delicate piece of paper, pure and untainted. I longed to paint her with my colors, mark her, and make her mine. But that could wait. I wanted to wait until she craved for me the same way I craved for her. I wanted her to surrender herself to me, both mind and body.

I looked down at her closed eyes and long eyelashes. Her head was rested against me as the left side of her body was pressed against mine. The scant fabric of her dress lingered around her left mid-thigh as it brushed against my leg. Sitting beside her felt tranquil, a feeling I had never felt with anyone before. I wanted to play with her hair, press my lips on her chin, her neck, and lower, and lower. But that was not the only reason why I wanted to be with her. Her very presence was enthralling. I had started to like her attitude, the way she talked, the way she smiled, the way blood rushed to her face when I stared at her, and even the way she tried to cook. I chuckled as I heard her smiling and muttering something in her sleep.

I lifted her up, bridal-style, and carried her to her bedroom. I laid her down on the bed and tucked her with a blanket. I was about to leave when her hand caught mine. "Roy? Is that you-oo" she muttered in her sleep.

"Yes, Maya. Now go back to sleep." I tried to go again, but she held on to my hand tighter. "No. Where are you going? Stay-yy. Stay with me Roy-yy."

I acquiesced and sat on her bed. Maya calmed down as she started to fall asleep. Her breaths became softer as her chest rose and fell with each passing second. My eyes became heavy and I decided to lie down beside her.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

When I woke up, the room was filled with sunlight. I rubbed my eyes and turned to the side to readjust my sleeping position. That's when I noticed someone's chest only inches from my face. And that too it was shirtless. Startled, I sat back and looked at Roy who was sleeping peacefully on my pillow. _What's he doing here?!_

His blanket was only covered up to his lower body, revealing his chest with rows of well-built muscles. I felt a strange feeling inside my stomach and my lower body. I tried to control my breathing and looked away from him. He moved his head a little, which made strands of his black hair fall on his eyes. I leaned over and brushed the strands back. He suddenly opened his eyes and tried to get up, but bumped his head into mine. Surprised by the contact, I fell towards him and landed on his chest. My face was pressed against his bare skin as his masculine smell filled the air. My face flushed more as I realized that one of his legs were between mine. I got up quickly and glared at him. "Why were you sleeping in my room?!"

"Good morning to you too, Maya" he said. He then raised his eyebrows and smirked at me, "So you don't remember the little activity that we did?" My mind rushed to the most twisted circumstance and I panicked. "What did we do? What I do? What did **you** do?!"

"Relax, Maya. I was just messing with you. I brought you to your room last night, but you were half-asleep and insisted that I stay."

"Then why are you shirtless?!"

"Why, it was so hot in here. These summer days, I tell you."

I stared at him, still not convinced with his answer and angry by the whole situation. "Don't stare at me so intimately, Maya," he said.

I immediately looked away when my cheeks burned and I got up. "Remember, you have to go to the gold mines today."

"Yeah, I know" I grunted and strode to the bathroom. _This is going to be a long day_.

* * *

o0❤0o

The heavens shined from above as the sky was a beautiful hue of orange and yellow with colorful clouds that danced glamorously with their partner, the swirling wind. I was admiring the way the setting sun was shining on the grass. I saw Ed and Al's reflection in the window, their faces hanging low and deep in thought. Except for the brothers, who were sitting to the opposite of me, the train was void of passengers.

I remembered the conversation with Mustang earlier, when he gave us the information regarding our mission at Youswell, a gold miner's town.

" _Is this really a job for a state alchemist?"_ Ed had asked. Lieutenant Hawkeye had then proceeded to explain that the knowledge of minerals and water were needed for this mission.

Mustang had gone back to his I'm-the-hunter-you're-the-prey look. " _Since it's both of your first mission, you both are on training wheels,"_ his smirk had widened, " _but that doesn't mean you can take it easy."_

He had waved his hand, indicating us to go away, but I had called him, " _I have a question."_

He had forged a smile even though his eyebrows clearly indicated his annoyed look. " _Yes, Maya?"_

" _How's this going to help us find out more the philosopher's stone?"_

" _Just complete this mission, Maya. I'll research on the philosopher's stone for you in the meantime."_ I had protested and grumbled like a child about how unfair this was, we would find out nothing while he got to know everything about the stone. In the end, he had managed to politely convince me that it would be best to follow his orders. By politely I mean threatening to take my State Alchemist title away, giving another job of organizing Tucker's research, and even saying that he wouldn't let me go shopping on the weekends and would stay with me at home to keep a watch. I could handle the others, but staying alone with him for a whole day, with no one else in the house was like walking into a lion's den.

Before I had exited his office, I had said, " _One more thing, Ro-I mean Colonel Mustang."_

" _What is it now, Maya?!"_

" _Don't miss me too much!"_

As I had quickly closed the door behind me, I had heard Hawkeye say, " _Was she about to call you Roy, Sir?"_ I had heard Mustang clear his throat behind me as I had smiled to myself. _Mission embarrass-Colonel-Mustang was a success_ , I had thought.

In front of me, the Elric brothers were having a conversation. "You don't have to come with me, Al. I'm required to do this because of the military, but you don't have to." Ed said.

"But we're brothers. We stick together no matter what."

"You're right..."

I smiled and went to sit down in between both the brothers. I put my hand on both of their shoulders and said, "Come on, guys, cheer up! I'll stick up for you guys too! You're like my brothers too, right?"

Ed blushed as Al laughed nervously. "My cute, little brothers!" I said, to embarrass them further.

"Hey, Maya, don't you call me little!" Ed said, still blushing. The rest of the train ride was just me saying how cute Ed and Al were while Al shyly accepted the compliment and Ed argued with me about how tall, mature, and manly he was. Ed's description of himself led me to burst into laughs occasionally, which made Ed more determined to explain his looks further.

* * *

o0❤0o

I skipped out of the train excitedly as the train halted and we got down. It was my first time going to another place in Amestris besides Central and I was thrilled. My buoyancy was replaced with shock as I saw the horrid sight before my eyes. The town of Youswell was dark and had a melancholic atmosphere. The buildings were rustic and had a dreary feel to them, being colored in shades of black, grey, and brown. Unlike Central, which had many children playing and men and women walking in the evenings, the streets of Youswell showed little to no signs of people, except for a man sitting in a corner, smoking a cigarette. We could hear the sound of our footsteps as we walked down the streets and tried to find someone to talk to.

"This gold miner's town looks more like a ghost town to me" I said and Al and Ed nodded. We were talking about how disappointing the mission is going to be, when I saw a huge iron bar coming towards me and ducked. Ed didn't notice it, though, and fell down on the floor with a thud. _Gosh! I should've warned him!_ Al and I were quickly helping Ed up to his feet while the young boy who was carrying the iron bar came to us excitedly. He looked about eleven years old, even though he was only a little shorter than Ed.

"Are you guys tourists?" the boy asked as his eyes sparkled with joy, "Have you guys eaten? Where're you'll stayin'?"

"What a hell of a welcome committee!" Ed said.

"Over here, we've got tourists!" the boy exclaimed and called out to a man that was carrying more iron bars on top of a building, "The big spenders! They're here!" _Oh, that's why he's so excited_. _But shouldn't they be rich already since they have a business in gold here?_

The man who was on top of the building came down to greet us as he smiled through his brown mustache. "I'm the owner a local inn. I'll take good care of you'll!"

As we walked down the streets, I patted the brown hair of the young boy. "What's your name, buddy?"

"Okayu!" he said. "What's your name? Are you the little blond boy's mother? Is the man in armor your husband?"

Ed and I panicked and yelled different things, but at the same time. "I'm not little!" "I'm not that old!"

Okayu just giggled and ran into the inn. Once we were inside, we got cheerful stares from the inmates. There were many muscular men sitting at many of the wooden tables, some drinking beer while the others talked and laughed out loud. A woman was sitting at the counter, whom I assumed was Okayu's mother since he hugged her immediately once we were inside.

"Now is that two rooms for a night?" the woman asked.

"Yes" I replied, "How much is the cost?"

"Yeah, we've got plenty of cash!" Ed said. _You shouldn't have said that, Ed. She'll just put on a higher price now._

The man we met before, Okayu's dad, said with a big smile on his face, "That'll be $2000 each." We stared at the man in disbelief at how expensive the rooms were. _I could stop bothering Roy and stay in a motel for half a year in that money! Why are these people charging so much? Don't they get money from the gold mines?_

"Why's it so pricey?" Al asked.

The man smiled again and said, "We haven't got customers in a while so we've got to milk you guys! Not to mention this is the best inn in town!"

"And the only inn in town!" Okayu exclaimed.

I looked at my purse and saw a little over a thousand dollars. _Think I shopped too much. Oh well, I regret nothing! I'm only helping the economy with my shopping..._

Al and Ed also gave me disappointed looks. "Well, that leaves only one option for us!" Ed said and I nodded.

After several minutes, Ed had fixed axes and vases and several other broken items belonging to the miners. I had made fancy ice and sand sculptures by using water alchemy. My best sculpture was called 'Boss is Always Right' and was basically a sculpture of a sad-faced Roy holding a hand in front of his face, as if doing alchemy. But the transmutation circle on his gloved hand was replaced with the word 'rain'. Ed and I were laughing uncontrollably at the finished product.

"Do you miss him already that you've made his sculpture?" Ed asked me.

My face heated up, but I managed to ignore it."Not in a million years!"

"Really?" Ed raised his eyebrows, "What happened between you two after the shopping day? Did he like your dress?!"

"Geez, Ed! Nothing happened between us!" I lied, "And he didn't say anything about my dre-"

My straight out lie was interrupted by Okayu's dad, who put a hand on both of our shoulders and said, "We're glad you guys are able to do alchemy! So what brings talented alchemists like you to our small town?"

As Ed explained that we needed to inspect the mines, Okayu came to me and began examining my hair. His eyes widened as he looked at my blue curly tips. "Wow! You're hair's so cool!"

I was patting the boy's head when I heard a loud thud. As I looked at the crowd that had gathered, I saw Ed on the ground outside the inn, with his suitcases beside him. "You dogs of the military are not allowed inside my inn! Sleep there with the rest of the dogs!" Okayu's dad said.

He then turned to Al and me and asked, "Are you guys part of the military too?"

I started to say yes, but Ed cut me off, "No, they're not. I just met them on the train."

With that, the door of the inn was shut off, leaving Ed outside in the cold night. Al and I reluctantly sat beside Okayu.

"Your dad surely hates people in the military!" I said to Okayu.

"Well yeah! Everyone here hates those military people! Especially Yoki!" Okayu said.

"Alchemist 'be thou for the people' that's their slogan," Okayu's dad said, "but the only people that they care about is their damn selves! They're dogs, who sell their soul to the state." I shivered as Al and I made eye contact. _Did I really sell my soul to the military?_

* * *

o0❤0o

I was slowly grabbing some food for Ed and taking it outside when I saw Al doing the same. I decided to let Ed be comforted by his brother as I gave Al some of my food to take too. Okayu ran up to me and told me to go to the counter.

"Someone called for you!" he said. _Who might be calling for me? That too this late at night?_

When I picked up the phone, I heard a voice say, "Hello, Maya, are you doing okay so far?"

"Roy? Yeah, I'm fine. What's the matter with you?"

"I'm just calling to remind you that your mission is only to inspect the gold mines. Not to 'try cooking' or get into any sort of trouble. Understood?"

I flushed as I realized what he was saying. _Is he actually caring about me?_ I brushed off the unusual feeling quickly and said, "I'll do whatever I want!"

"Maya, you don't want to make me mad!" he said. I was about to talk back to him when he muttered, "But I'm already mad for you..."

I froze for a few seconds, contemplating what he just said. _He was mad for me? Does that mean he..._ As I was about to ask Roy what he meant, I heard a bleep through the phone.

"Oh, I think the connection's lost. Sorry about that" Okayu said, "By the way, were you talking to you husband or something?!"

"I already told you, I'm not that old!"

* * *

o0❤0o

As I sat with Al, figuring out what to do next, I heard a loud bang on the door. When Okayu's mom opened the door, three officers burst in wearing blue military uniforms. A girl was also with them, who looked about the same age and height as me. She had black hair that was styled into a long bob with some bangs in the middle. The officer in the center with a partly bald hair and wrinkly face stood out the most though, since he was covering his face with a white handkerchief, as if trying to hide from an allergy.

"It's a shame that I've to come to this filthy place!" the bald officer said, "This whole town's taxes are due from many days!"

"Our wages are too low to afford tax, Sir" Okayu's dad said angrily.

"You're paid so little because that's what you men are worth" the girl with the black hair said. It was a total chaos as the men at the inn began yelling.

"Sir Yoki is now in charge of this whole town, so you better be careful" the girl continued as if the men's concerns didn't matter to her at all.

"He only got to that place by bribing others using the money that we spent out sweat and blood for!" someone yelled.

A man came to attack the bald Yoki when the girl suddenly stepped to the front to protect the officer. The pendent on her neck glowed as and emitted a red light. _The necklace has a transmutation circle on it._ A gust of air hit the man that was attacking and he fell on the floor. _She liquefied the air around her and compressed it to produce the shock wave. Not that impressive..._

"Nicely done, Lyra" the bald said as he tapped her shoulders. _How is she not disgusted with herself by doing this?_

I went near the man who fell and helped him get up. As I was about to fight that Lyra, Okayu came from nowhere and threw a piece of garbage on the bald's face. Horrified, Yoki said, "I have no choice than to suspend your operating licence."

"Okayu!" his mom shouted as another officer slapped Okayu and he fell on the floor.

"Kill him! It will be an example for the others!" Loki said.

An officer opened his sword and was about to strike Okayu, when I rushed to his side. I drew out my own ice sword using water alchemy and used it to block. I realized that Ed had also rushed inside with me and was also blocking the sword using his mechanical hand.

"Who the hell are you two?" the bald yelled.

"When I thought the Lieutenant was dropping in, I thought I'd come by and say hello" Ed said and showed his silver State Alchemist watch.

"Is that what I think he is?!" Yoki said and then stared at me. "Are you a State Alchemist too? Didn't you use water alchemy? Aren't you the new Water Alchemist that everyone's talking about?"

Okayu, his mom, his dad, and rest of the miners turned to look at me, with expressions of shock that were replaced by betrayal and then anger.

"You guys report directly to King Bradley!" Yoki exclaimed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lyra's eyes gleaming and admiring me and Ed.

"Please excuse my idomacy," bald-idiot said, "I'm Yoki, the one who's in charge here. So, what business might you have here?"

I couldn't find my voice since I was overcome by the guilt of having betrayed the miners. As I remained quiet, Ed spoke, "We're hear to conduct an inspection."

"Then please, come stay at my mansion. I hope you didn't have to stay long with these ungrateful beggars for too long."

Ed followed Yoki outside the door. I was about to turn back and apologize to the miners about lying to them, but Lyra grabbed my hand enthusiastically and led me out of the inn. I didn't turn back to look at the miner's angry and hurt faces.

* * *

o0❤0o

Ed, that bald-idiot, and I were seated at a large white dining table that was surrounded by elaborate chairs, topped with a chandelier, and decorated with vases and fancy china. The dining hall itself was very large and showed wealth in every way possible, from the red carpet to the paintings, to the servants. The dishes set on the table were served in large quantities, enough to feed the whole village. _This is why the gold miners have so little money._

As Lyra was serving us, the bald-idiot said, "I'm so blessed to have such talented scientists among us! You two must take a look at Lyra's alchemy."

"I already know it" Ed said and proceeded to explain how it works. Normally, I would talk a lot and never leave an opportunity to eat food, but this time I just sat there, glaring at the the idiot and that Lyra.

"My goal is just to become like you two!" Lyra said, "I want to become a State Alchemist." _Tch. Wanting to serve the military for the people and treating everyone like trash? Ladies and gentlemen, the future State Alchemist award goes to Lyra!_

"Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude" bald-idiot said as Lyra pushed a red bag to both Ed and me.

"How dare you bribe us?!" I yelled. The badly looked at me shocked, since it was my first time speaking to him. Ed glared at me, indicating me to shut up. I sank back down in my chair and resumed my perfunctory behavior of glaring at the bald-idiot and miss-State-Alchemist-Lyra.

"Bribe is such a harsh word," the badly continued, "let's just call it equivalent exchange!"

My eyes widened as Ed agreed. I was confused at first, but decided to take the bribe for the time being, sensing that the blonde kid had something going on in his mind.

* * *

o0❤0o

I laid my back on the opulent king sized bed that was placed in an overly decorated bedroom. I tried to close my eyes and sleep, but I couldn't. Only only because I envisioned the angry faces of the miners when I closed my eyes, but also because something felt missing.

" _But I'm already mad for you"_ he had said. As I repeated what Roy said over and over to myself, I heard a noise outside, like that of a bomb exploding. I looked outside my window and saw a gust of air somewhere in town. _That Lyra's alchemy? Does that mean she-_

As I jumped out of the window, I saw Ed land beside me on the ground. We both nodded to each other and headed in the direction of the wind.

When we got there, I gasped as I saw that the whole inn was shattered and torn apart into pieces. All that were remaining were the wooden pieces that once held the place together. I looked around and saw that the inmates had managed to escape just in time. _At least no one got injured._

Al also came to stand beside me and Ed as we watched the horror scene before us. As smoke and dust filled the air, Okayu approached us and said, "You two are alchemists, right? Can't you make gold for my dad?" His face was covered in dust and ash and there were tears streaming from his eyes. Beside him, his mom was holding on to a broken vase while his dad conforted her.

"No, I cannot," Ed said, "It would require equivalent exchange and I'm not willing to pay the price."

I brought my hand up to pat Okayu and on the head and comfort him, but he shoved it away harshly and grabbed Ed by the collar. "Do we need to bribe you now, too?!"

Ed shook the boy away and said, "Transmuting gold is illegal. I'll be thrown in jail if I do that. If you feel so uncomfortable living here, then why don't you all move to another town?"

Okayu's dad said, "Kid, you may not understand this now. But this place is our home and we are not going to abandon it."

* * *

o0❤0o

"Guys, we have to protect their home" I said. _I know I have lost my home for the time being, in another world. But they don't have to lose theirs._

Ed nodded and ran towards the iron bars as Al and I followed behind him. When we reached there, I handed Ed the gold coins we had got from that bald-idiot. Ed emptied my coins as well as his on the iron bars. A blue light then sparkled from his hands as the iron bars were transmuted into bars of gold. Ed then turned to us and said, "What you see stays between us."

"Agreed" I said and went over to a huge pile of rocks. The midnight blue light shined from my hands as I used alchemy. When I was done, the rocks resembled tanzanites, the rarest blue gems found in nature. Although they were just a replication, not the actual thing, they looked exactly like it.

 _The trap is now ready we just need the scapegoat to get pulled into it._

* * *

o0❤0o

The scapegoat's eyes were filled with greed and innumerous amount of lust as he examined the piles of gold iron bars and stacks of bags overflowing with tanzanite.

"None of this treasure appears on any of the books. So as long as we both keep our mouth shut, I can have the town for alchemic research and you can have this treasure." I said.

"My, although you seemed very quiet at first, you've showed your true colors, my lady." the baldy said.

I gave him an innocent smile, but kicked and punched him many times in my head. Ed smirked at me, as if knowing exactly what I was thinking.

"But you must hand over a document saying that you are ready to hand over this town, the trading route and everything with it." Ed said.

The idiot was still lost in his admiration of the gold and the gems and nodded his head quickly. _It'll be fun to watch this idiot loose it all._

* * *

o0❤0o

"You guys let us stay at the inn for a day and we make you the rightful owners of the land. Do we have a deal?" Ed said.

"It's equivalent exchange!" Ed and I exclaimed at the same time.

"But the inn was destroyed last night!" Okayu's dad said.

"Then what's that over there?!" I pointed towards a building that was standing where the ruins had been.

I had used water alchemy to join the pieces of wood together while Ed had transformed the broken pieces and made it as good as new. "Now we can stay here tonight, right?" I asked.

"Of course, Maya, Ed, Al. You three are welcome anytime."

As we started to head inside, the scapegoat, meaning the bald-idiot, came yelling at us. "Maya! Edward! What's the meaning of this? All the gold bars you gave me turned to iron! The all the tanzanites turned to stone!"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about!" I said.

"Don't act like that! You gave me gold bars and tanzanites in exchange for the land!"

Ed said, "As far as I know, you gave us the land for free! At least that's what it says here in the paper!" Al and I giggled as we watched the scene before us.

"Lyra!" the baldy called. That girl moved and started compressing the air to attack me and Ed. Before the wind came towards us, I created a bubble of water surrounding me and Al, which shielded us from the wind, as if it were not there at all. Once I popped the water bubble and released Ed and me back, Ed ran towards Lyra and tore her necklace from her neck. Unable to use alchemy without the transmutation circle, she fell on the ground.

"If you wanted to be like me and Maya, then you wouldn't have done this." Ed told Lyra.

I turned behind me and noticed that the miners were already beating up that badly and his greedy-minded officers. I smiled as I was greeted by Okayu as I entered the inn.

* * *

o0❤0o

"You still didn't tell me if the one you talked over the phone was your husband or not!" Okayu teased me again. I was surrounded by Al, Ed, and the other miners, including Okayu and his dad.

"I told you, I'm not that old! Besides, he's my boss."

Ed arched an eyebrow and smirked, "Mustang had called you? Why, did he feel lonely without you?" The room burst into laughter and everyone stared at me.

My face was bright red not only because everyone was teasing me, but also because what they said was sort of true. "Guys, stop it! That's not true!" I lied. _I have been lying quite a lot, haven't I? All because of that Roy._

"Anyway, Maya," Al said, "what did happen between you and Mustang after you wore the dress to impress him?"

"Al? You too?!" I said, "And if something did happen, I don't have to tell you guys about it."

"So something did happen, right?" Ed and Al exclaimed at the same time.

"A women is allowed to keep her secrets, guys." I said and strode to the counter to help Okayu's mom with the cleaning and to avoid my interrogation. As I went passed them, I heard Al mutter, "I told you brother! They're more closer than you think!"

* * *

o0❤0o

"Hey, Maya," Ed called as we stepped out of the train and reached Central again, "Don't forget to report to the military tomorrow!"

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked as I took my suitcase in my hand and walked beside the train.

"Why you ask?" Ed said and forged an innocent smile, "You were without Mustang for a long time now, so don't spend too much time smooching with him! Remember your work too."

At this, I began cursing and chasing Ed down the railway station as Al followed behind us, yelling for us to stop. _This Ed has crossed his limits now_.

* * *

o0❤0o

I got down from the taxi and stepped in front of the apartment. The sun had set long time ago and the sky was now pitch black. I walked passed the street lights as the crickets chirped beside me. As I was about to enter the apartment, a black car came to my side. Expecting Mustang, I ran to open its door and was about to throw my arm around the person inside it, when I stopped and saw some other officer, to my disappointment.

"Miss Maya. I have been ordered by Colonel Mustang to take you with me." I stared at the officer, confused.

"I have been told to not let you inside his apartment. You are to come with me."

"Where're you taking me?" I asked.

"You are to be sent to the East."

"But why-"

"I'm sorry, but Colonel Mustang told me to take you there immediately. Please sit in the car."

I obeyed and sat into the black car. _Why is he sending me to the East? Does he not want me to live in his apartment anymore? And to think he would actually miss me._

* * *

 **You know how Maya uses a water bubble and an ice sword? I kinda based it on avatar water benders and other stuff. Just so you know, it's not a completely original idea. ^_^**


	13. Heavy-Drinking Child

**Maya: Melanie, why do you make me travel so much?**

 **Me: Well, you have to be with the Elric brothers to find out about the philosopher's stone...**

 **Maya: I look like a potato from all this travelling.**

 **Roy: A sweet, sexy potato. I would put my teeth into that!**

 **Maya: You stay out of this pervert! Melanie, make him go away!**

 **Me: Nope! *quickly exits the room and locks Maya and Roy together***

* * *

 **Chapter XIII - Heavy-Drinking Child**

It was enormous. It might have been the same size or even bigger than Tucker's house. I had reached the East and was standing in front of an elegant house that was probably two stories high. Tall pine trees were surrounding the sides of the white building that was elaborately decorated with tall pillars. A vast garden stretched after the house gate, which was filled with pink roses, lilacs, and flora of many kinds. After I climbed several marble stairs to reach the plywood door, the officer who had brought me there drew out a key and opened the door with a click. I stepped inside and entered the dark expanse of the house.

"Please, go inside. Colonel Mustang will be there shortly."

Before I had the chance to thank the officer, he closed the door behind me and was gone. Desperately searching everywhere, I lit a blue light from my hands and to my relief, as I saw the light switch next to the door.

My breath caught as I saw the living hall that was lit with the bright light from the chandelier that was hanging over my head. Leather sofas and arm chairs were placed in the center along with glass tables. Decorations of all kinds, like vases and polished china were placed on the cupboard and shelves lining the walls. I noticed a piece of paper sitting on one of the glass tables and my shoes made a tapping sound on the marble floor as I reached towards it.

 _Maya,_

 _I have been promoted to a full Colonel, now. So this will be my new home and I would appreciate it if you would cooperate with me and stay here. Your room is to the left, on the second floor. DO NOT go to the kitchen, I'll be back shortly if you're hungry. Also, try not to break anything. The decorations were quite expensive._

 _~ Colonel Mustang_

I folded the paper and kept it back on the table. _Geez, he really treats me like a child_. I made my way up the long stairway and tried to remember where my room was supposed to be. _He said the right room on the second floor_. I saw a dark brown door to my right and went towards it. When I turned on the lights, I saw a fairly large master bedroom. The walls were grey with dark brown wooden tiles. The bed was covered with black and white sheets and pillows and even the desk to the front had the same monochromatic, black color to it. _This room is way too neat. Why did he give me this room? I'm the complete opposite of orderly._

I pulled out a black slip and underpants from my suitcase and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Even the bathroom had the same opulent look to it. The white marble sinks were clean and one side of the wall was embedded with tall mirrors. Next to the circular shower was a brown bathtub. _This bathtub is so large that it could fit two people_. I blushed and soon sank myself in the warm water of the tub after taking off my clothes. As tranquility took over me, my mind began to wonder. _Why did Mustang let me come with him? He could have let me stay at the apartment by myself..._

 **Roy's POV**

I eagerly opened the front door and entered the house. I looked around the vases and the paintings on the walls. _Good, the house is exactly as I had left it. She didn't mess up anything so far_.

After I climbed the brown stairway, I was about to knock on Maya's bedroom, but I stopped, realizing that she might be tired after hours of travelling. _I'll meet her immediately when she wakes up tomorrow_. I was startled when I went to my bedroom, which was to the right, and saw that the lights were turned on. _Strange. I'm pretty sure I had turned em' off._

I exhaled in exhaustion and took off the military uniform. Satisfied with a black pant, I put it on and lay on the bed. As I was about to turn off the lights, the door of the bathroom opened to reveal Maya, clad in only a tiny slip and underpants.

 **Maya's POV**

The towel was furiously brushing my hair as I tried to dry my hair off quickly and made my way out of the bathroom. On the bed, in front of me, Roy was lying down, wearing only a pant. I was overcome with joy, which later changed into embarrassment as I saw his exposed body and as I saw him staring wide-eyed at me. I broke off the gaze quickly and tried to cover my body with the towel.

"R-Roy? Why are you here?"

Instead of answering, he got up from the bed and came, no, more like stalked towards me. I moved backwards the closer he got to me.

"I should be asking you this, Maya. What're you doing in my room?"

"Y-your room?! I-" I gasped when he came closer and my back hit the wall. "I thought this was my room..."

"Oh?" Roy said as his face came closer to mine. He leaned over and whispered in my ear as his warm breath hit my skin, sending a chill down my spine. "Are you saying that we should stay in the same room, my sweetheart?"

I froze at his remark and glared at him. "What? I-I'm not a sweetheart and I'm definitely not yours! I thought you said the room to the right was mine so I came here."

He moved his face from my left ear to stare into my blue eyes. As he spoke with his velvety voice again, his breath hit my lips and my cheek. "Really? Your room's to the left. Well, glad you came. I haven't seen you in a long while..." He tucked a strand of my wet black and blue hair behind my ear and stared at my lips. His left hand suddenly brushed my cheek and stayed there for a while, before moving to my lips and brushing them slightly with his thumb. It might have been just my imagination, but a spark of fire ignited from his thumb.

"Roy, what're you-" I said and tried to move away from him, but he trapped me by placing both of his hands on the either side of me. My chest was pounding harder as his face came even closer and I closed my eyes as his soft lips moved smoothly across mine. His body pressed against mine as his hands moved into my hair and he gently pulled it. As I made a sound at the back of my throat, I felt a smirk forming on his lips. I grimaced, ashamed of myself. _I don't want him to know that he makes this feel good._ He withdrew his lips from mine and looked at me for a brief moment, panting as he tried to catch his breath. As he was moving in again, I tried to protest, "No, Roy, don't do-"

His lips hit mine, this time with more passion and my breathing became uneven again. He suddenly pulled my hair more, which made me open my mouth and I let out a gasp. Roy took this opportunity to push his tongue inside my mouth. I hands went up to their own accord and flew up to his black hair as both of our tongues battled and interlocked with each other.

As I clasped on to his neck stronger, I realized that we were french kissing. Although I had thought kisses in general were disgusting before, french kissing had seemed totally repulsive. I mean, how can anyone exchange saliva with another person and be okay about it? But as I sucked on Roy's tongue and he held on to mine, a spark of electricity flowed throughout my body. I wanted to remain like that forever in his arms.

To my disappointment, he retreated, but his plump lips soon made their way to my cheeks. His mouth then traced my jaw, and slowly made its way to my collarbones. He held there for a while, and bit down on my neck without a warning, causing me to moan in pleasure and pain. As he continued to mark me with bits near my collarbone, my nails dug into his neck and I began scratching him. Roy growled and stopped to look at me. His eyes examined my black slip and he began unbuttoning the the fabric that hid my neck, just above my chest. Unable to speak, I turned my eyes away from him and looked down on the floor. Seeing my reaction, he lifted my chin up, forcing me to face him.

"Look, at me Maya. I missed you..."

 _What? He really missed me?_ "No, Roy, stop!" I said as he lifted my slip a little to reveal my underpants.

"Polka-dot panties? You're really a child Maya" he said and anger took over me.

"Roy, I said stop, don't-" I was about to push him away, but his lips landed on the expanse of my throat and he began sucking it intensely. I felt his tongue glide and outline the skin right above my curves, making me moan louder.

As my head became cloudy, a faint memory crossed my mind. Mom and dad had taken me shopping, to buy a dress for Christmas. As my parents held hands and walked in front of me, I had wandered off on my own and had somehow reached an abandoned part of the city. Panic had taken over me when suddenly a hand was on my shoulder and a familiar voice had said, " _Maya, I was so worried about you."_ Dad had hugged me tightly and I had said, " _Don't worry, daddy. I'm six years old, I'm fine."_ He had kissed me on my forehead and said, " _I know you're a brave girl. But I missed you..."_

" _I promise I'll never let you go again, Maya."_

Tears flowed from my eyes as I remembered the memory, my dad, and my mom. _Why did you let me go this time, dad?_ As I began shaking, Roy lifted his head up from my neck and looked at me with a frown on his face.

"Don't cry, Maya." he said repeatedly and wiped my wet cheeks. _Why did I have to cry now? He'll think I'm more of a child again..._

Since the tears continued to stream down my face, Roy took a few steps back from me and signed loudly. He then walked over to the closet, pulled out a white shirt and began buttoning it.

"Go to your room, Maya" Roy said as he led me to the bedroom door. Soon after I was outside his room, he closed the door behind me, leaving me standing there alone, without even saying a simple goodnight.

 **Roy's POV**

I turned off the lights and lay on the bed. I had been startled by Maya's sudden sobs. _Did I really hurt her? Did she really not like it when I kissed her? She didn't even say if she had also missed me..._

 _I shouldn't be thinking much about this. Why would she miss me? After all, her goal is to go back to her world. She will eventually leave me and go away soon. Just like rest of the women who have been in my life._

 _I should not let my emotions take over again. This was the last time. From tomorrow, she'll just be another girl to me._

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

I slowly got down the stairway and reached the living hall. The sun was shining brightly from the windows and the melodious singing of birds from outside was audible. I made my way to the kitchen and stopped when I caught sight of Roy already leaning against the cabinets and drinking his coffee. I tugged on to my black scarf tighter, in an attempt to hide the marks on my neck that he had made last night.

Usually, Roy would greet me and hand me something to eat, but today, he just stood there, ignoring my presence. I noticed that a plate with scrambled eggs was already set on the table and I went to eat it silently. He kept the coffee mug in the sink and turned his back towards me.

"Roy," I called, "I'm leaving for Liore today. I won't be back until weeks later."

"I know." he said and exited the room without glancing once at me.

* * *

o0❤0o

The train made a loud noise as the black steam flowed from its chimney. I hurried to get inside the train with my heavy suitcase. Before I went inside to sit, I looked to the left and to the right of the railway station to see if I could spot Roy. But unlike the time I went to Youswell, he was not there to bid me farewell.

Frowning, I went inside and sat down next to Al, Ed sitting to the opposite of us.

"Wow, Maya," Al said, "What happened to your hair?"

Confused, I examined my hair. I was taken back when I noticed that my hair was now only half-black, instead of only the tips being blue. Among all the Roy-drama, I hadn't really paid attention to my appearance this morning.

"I don't know how my hair turned more blue...It was normal last night." I said.

Ed asked, "Are you okay, Maya? Apart from your hair, you look rather tired. Didn't you sleep last night?"

My eyes glanced at my reflection on the train window and I saw that my eyes were red, with some bags underneath them. After Roy's undecipherable behavior last night, I hadn't been able to get much sleep.

"Yeah, I'm fine guys. It's just that I wasn't able to get good sleep last night."

Ed's gaze flew to my neck, which I had previously covered with a scarf. I cursed underneath my breath and tried hide the marks again.

"Oh, I see," Ed smirked, "You and Mustang were having a lot of fun last night."

"W-what?" I said and forged an innocent look.

"Don't think I didn't notice the hickey, Maya!" Ed said and Al added, "Oh, so things have gotten this far then!"

I protested for a while, but gave up trying to argue with the brothers. I didn't have the energy nor the mood to argue. After all, Roy, I mean Mustang, had kicked me out of his room last night probably because he thought I was naive.

 _I guess I'm just one those girls that he plays with and forgets about the next day..._

* * *

o0❤0o

"This is why I hate deserts. It's nothing but sand!" Ed said as gallons of sweat dropped from his forehead. We were surrounded by a city of massive amounts of sand dunes that stretched farther than our eyes could see.

"Na, na, naa. Naa na naa" I sang and skipped on the sand beside Ed. He gave me look of clear annoyance as I danced past him and I responded with an innocent smile.

"You're the one who refused this" I said and pointed to the bubble of water that was surrounding me. Thanks to my alchemy, I was basically a frog in a pond instead of a dry cactus in a desert, like Ed.

"I told you, the water'll just ruin my mechanical arm!" Ed said and fell down on the sand, his face hitting the ground. "If only I had grass, I could cook up something."

"Well, be glad you can still have water because of me." I said and drew out a palm full of water from the sand and handed it to Ed. He reluctantly drank it and went back to cursing many things, like god damn sand, and god damn Mustang, and what not. I agreed with him on damning Mustang though. After day-before-yesterday's incident, I had been calling him Mustang inside my head instead of Roy.

"Ed, where'd Al go?!" I realized that Al had gone missing again, making this the fifth time in the last hour or so.

"Hey, Al? Where'd you go? Al?" Ed said and knelt with his knees on the ground.

A black hand suddenly enveloped Ed's leg and I felt something similar touching my right leg. Ed and I screamed at the same time and our panicked faces looked at each other.

"I'm right here guys," Al said, "I'm stuck in the sand again."

Ed and I signed and dug into the sand to help Al get out. It took nearly a century for Al to be completely free of sand and even I began sweating inside my water bubble.

"I don't understand why you keep falling in!" Ed shouted angrily.

"I get full!" Al responded.

"Full of what?" Ed said and kicked Al's armor at the same time. Grains of sand fell out of his armor and landed on top of Ed. I giggled loudly as I saw Ed trying to get up underneath the sand.

"What are you looking at, Maya" Ed glared at me, "Do you want me to pop that bubble of yours?"

"Stay away, Ed" I said and tried to run away as Ed chased me down the sand dunes. It required vast amounts of energy to make that water bubble and I wasn't going to do it again, seeing that I hadn't eaten anything since a long while.

"Stop, it you guys!" Al said as he followed behind us.

* * *

o0❤0o

With mine and Ed's game of chasing and Al's yelling, we had finally made it to a town in the desert. I was surprised how anyone could even live there. But when I looked closer, the town did seem sort of lavish and people looked cheerful. There were also abstruse sculptures lining the road, which depicted a man with a sun on top of his head. _Looks like some sort of Sun God._

"Guys, I think I'm experiencing a dessert illusion," I said as I sniffed the air, "It smells delicious!"

"I think I hear something" Ed said and looked around, trying to find something. "I see it! It's really there! Water!" Ed yelled and ran after a water fountain in front of us. _This guy's dignity must have hurt to ask me for some more water..._

I ran after Ed and Al followed us from behind. The fountain had a red liquid flowing from it, and I found a cup nearby and filled it, realizing what the liquid was.

"It's not water! I wondered where the weird stench was coming from..." Ed grimaced and looked down in disappointment.

"It is blood?" Al asked over my shoulder.

Ed's eyes flew up to me and he exclaimed, "Maya? Why're you drinking blood? When did you become a vampire?!"

I just laughed and made a scary face at Ed, which caused him to back away a few steps. As I continued to laugh loudly, Al said, "No, brother. It's actually smells like red wine!"

Ed's eyes widened as I saw him filling his cup with it. I heard him scream as I saw a man twisting Ed's ear. "Kids aren't allowed to drink this!" _Good, I was about to scream at that kid anyway._

* * *

o0❤0o

"Ha, ha, haaa" the man who had twisted Ed's ear laughed as handed Ed a glass of water, "I see, you're from another town. You'll have to forgive me."

"This town must be loaded! Guessing from the wine fountain and stuff" Al said and Ed turned to stare at me, with a look of disapproval on his face. I was sitting with my legs crossed and enjoying the red wine. Even though I had popped the water bubble to avoid too much attention, I was still relishing our current situation.

"Yeah, we do pretty well here," the man said, and turned on a brown radio.

A soft music played on the radio and I noticed that several other people on the streets had the same radio and were listening to the same exact music. I looked at a girl inside a house through the window and saw her listening to it as well. _Are these people required to listen to this? That too at the same time?_

A voice suddenly spoke through the radio, " _Children of God...As sun bites the day, so does the Sun God..."_

"Well, that's freaky!" I said.

The man looked at me with a frown and said, "Your buddy's in a suit of armor and you drank three cups of wine in ten minutes and you call us freaks?"

I faked a smile as Ed shoot glares at me again. "What's your deal anyway? Street performers?" the man continued.

I laughed as Ed said, "Do I look like a clown to you?! Who is this guy on your airways anyway?"

"Why, that's Sir Cornello! You guys have seriously never heard of him before?!"

"Doesn't ring a bell. What's so great about him?" Al said.

"Cornello, I bet that old fellow looks like a marshmallow!" I laughed and hiccupped. Ed face-palmed and stared at me again.

"He's a prophet who can perform miracles. I haven't seen anything like it!" A bald man said as he ordered a glass of beer and began drinking it. He winked at me, but I ignored it and laughed more. _Why do idiots always flirt with me? Especially that Mustang..._

"This place was once horrible, before Cornello came along and transformed it into a paradise!" another man said as he entered and joined the conversation. Soon, many other men followed behind us and talked nonsense about how god-like that Cornello-person was and whatever he did to the town.

"We have to be somewhere," Ed said, "You ready to split?"

"Yes," Al replied, followed by my excited "Yahoo!"

Ed gave me a disgusted look again, and I ignored it, being used to it by now. When Al suddenly stood up, the top of his armor hit the cabinet, which sent the radio sitting on top of it to the floor with a loud thud.

"Don't worry, grandpa!" I said to the man who owned the radio, "We can fix it!"

Al got to the radio and drew a transmutation circle around it. A thick cloud appeared as Al performed alchemy and the radio began working again. I laughed more as I heard the men gasp around me.

"You can perform miracles like Cornello!" someone said.

"It's nothing like that, it's science. We're alchemists" Al said.

Ed said, "We're the Elric brothers. And this is Maya. We're pretty well known alchemists."

"Yes, we're fabulous! One day, I was like kneel before me peasants!" I said and began laughing again. _Why am I laughing so much?_

"We've never heard of any alchemists. We don't have any alchemists in this part" a man said.

A person in a green shirt said, "You're good at fixing things though. I might give you a job, I own a shop. Especially a job to you, beautiful," he looked at me. I didn't have the strength nor the mood to fight back, so I just giggled again.

"They don't need a job, that's Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist and that's Maya Starling, the Water Alchemist" a woman wrapped in a dark green cloth around her said. I noticed that she had black hair and something about her seemed familiar, like some sort of old memory.

"Wow, real-life famous people!" a man said and soon people began to gather around me and Al.

"A woman with beauty, brains, and talent."

"I see, people call you the Fullmetal Alchemist because you wear that armor!" Al looked at Ed and said, "No, no. He's the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You mean that shorty there?" someone remarked and I laughed on top of my lungs again. Ed started yelling at this and argued with the men as I filled my cup with more wine from the fountain.

"I see there's plenty of excitement around here, today!" a girl said with a brown bag around her hand. She had dark skin like the rest of them, but her hair consisted of two shades. Apart from her pink bangs, her waist-long hair was dark brown in color.

"Oh, Rose!" a man said and the girl smiled as her purple eyes lit up. "Don't mind me, I hate to spoil all the fun!" she said.

"Oh, no, I'm Alphonse Elric" Al said, followed by Ed, "And I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"Maya, the Water Alchemist, here, sweety!" I waved at the girl and giggled again.

When a man said that we were new in town, Rose offered us to visit Cornello and stay at the rooms that he had for travellers.

Al tried to protest, but Ed agreed. _The blonde kid has another plan, huh?_ "Yay! Let's visit the marshmallow!" I exclaimed and hiccupped again. Rose shot me a worried look, but soon ignored it and began leading us into another street. I was about to fill my wine cup again, but the armor kid stopped me. _Tch, so annoying. Everyone's tryin' to control my life, just like that Mustang. Who does he think he is, kissing me once and not talking to me, next?!_

As Rose praised the Cornello-person more, I said to Ed, "Maybe you can request the great prophet marshmallow to make you taller, Ed!"

"Shut up Maya!" Ed said and I snorted.

"Why'd you drink so heavily anyway?"

"Maybe it's because she's missing Mustang, brother!" Al suggested. _Missing? More like trying to forget him._

* * *

 **Hope Maya and Roy's um, _interaction_ , was Pg 13. Let me know if I should make it less descriptive. XD**


	14. Darkness of the Sun

**Happy Memorial Day!**

 **Gift from me: Like ch 12 and 13, I'll be making my chapters long from now!**

 **Maya: Yeah, so you can torture me?**

 **Me: *smiles nervously* Just for a little while...**

 **Maya: Can't I do something to make Roy head over heels for me?**

 **Me: Wear a very tiny mini skirt.**

 **Maya: ...  
**

 **Me: Where did you go?**

 **Maya: Should the skirt be black?**

 **Me: *face palms***

* * *

 **Chapter XIV - Darkness of the Sun**

"This flower is just like Mustang! Don't be mistaken by its beauty, it can hurt you with its sharp thorns!" I said, while laughing and rolling on the lush grass. Rose had showed us our rooms that Cornello had for travelers, but I had refused to enter them. The garden outside the rooms was way too beautiful and I wanted to look at it. So, Sir Edward the Great had instructed Rose to babysit me, saying that I shouldn't be on my own in a drunken state. _Like I can't handle my damn self!_

Rose knelt down beside me and began picking the grass from the ground. "Al said before that you miss Mustang. Is he someone of importance to you?"

"Importance? To me?" I laughed, "Nope! He's just our mean, old boss."

"Well, you have been talking about him ever since I met you...Did you fight with him or something?" Rose said and looked at me with concern.

I got up and stopped laughing. The sun was just beginning to disappear and hide behind the orange clouds, threatening to bring the moon into a dark and luminous night. "Something like that..." I said and followed Rose's actions of plucking the grass. "How did you know?"

"Your eyes show that you're hurt. And the way you talk about him all the time, it means that you really care about him."

I signed and lay back down on the grass. I saw a cluster of birds flying in the sky, probably rushing to deliver food to their young ones before the unforgiving night takes over. "But he doesn't care though. I'm just another girl to him."

"You know sometimes, the ones who love you hurt you the most. But that doesn't mean they don't care about you. Do you know his view of the situation? Maybe he thinks that you don't care about him..."

My eyes sprung up to look at Rose. She smiled at me and went back to touching the grass. I thought of all the times that Mustang had attempted to get closer to me, but I had avoided him. Even when he tried to kiss me before, I had told him to stop. _What if Mustang thinks that I don't care about him? Yes, I had cried when he was kissing me and didn't say that I missed him back. My mind had gone back to an old memory. That and the fact that he treated me like a child. But I really do care about him..._

Rose smiled at me and I said, "How do you know all this? Do you have someone in your life?"

The smile on her face faded and she looked at the sky, with glimpses of tears forming near the corner of her eyes. "I had. He died in an accident."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it," Rose said and her smile returned when she wiped her tears, "He's coming back alive soon anyway. My parents also died when I was young, but Father Cornello knows a way. I'm sure my boyfriend will be alive again."

"Rose, I hate to say this, but that's impossible. No one can bring the dead back."

Her expression changed into anger and she spoke fast, "Father Cornello can! He can do miracles!"

"Trust me, Rose. It won't be good if someone tries to act like God. The consequences are disastrous" I said and remembered Ed and Al's story of transmuting their mom.

Rose suddenly got up and said, "That's not true! He **will** come back!" Before I went to console her, she ran away from the garden and was gone. _Poor girl, I wonder why that marshmallow brain-washed her._

* * *

o0❤0o

" _Lust, she looks so delicious!"_ I heard someone's voice and heavy footsteps on the floor.

" _Gluttony, don't go near her, you'll wake her up!"_ A pair of heels tapped on the floor and I tried to remain still, forging an act of sleep.

" _But you're right. Maya's beautiful,"_ a female voice said, " _Her hair has turned more blue too. The plan's working."_

" _If the plan doesn't work out, can I eat her?"_ a man replied, followed by the slurping of a tongue.

" _If it fails, it will be interesting to watch how the Master kills her own daughter."_

The sound of the footsteps was audible again, this time diminishing gradually. I waited for a few minutes, and after I was sure I couldn't hear anything, I opened my eyes. I looked around the compact room and saw that the door was still closed. Looking at the slightly opened window to my right, I concluded that the intruders must have entered through there. I went near the window, prepared to use alchemy if need be, and saw if they were still there. Not a single soul was visible below the building nor the streets however; the dark streets were lit by only the radiance from the moon and everything was silent except for the howling of the wind.

I got back to my bed, trying to figure out who they were, because I was pretty sure their voices seemed very familiar. _The people who once stabbed by dad in his arm?!_ _No, that was just a nightmare. How did they know my name?_

 _And who is the Master?_

* * *

o0❤0o

"And I thought you were sober now," Ed said pushed past several people to get a better view, "Snap out of it, Maya. It was just an illusion!"

I squeezed between two men and followed behind the brothers, "I am sober! And it was not an illusion. I swear someone was in my room last night!"

Ed's annoyed face turned and faced me. "We can argue about that later. Now let's see what Cornello can do."

I acquiesced and stood beside Al to watch the man in question arrive on the elegant stage and stand beside several aesthetic sculptures of the Sun God. He was wearing a black clergymen uniform with silver linings. He looked exactly like I had pictured him in my head: like a marshmallow. What was visible of his neck and head was pale; his skin almost had no pigment to it. His bald head was gleaming in the afternoon heat as he plastered on a broad, devious smile. His forehead had rows of wrinkles, but no eyebrows.

The people around me cheered and waved as Cornello took a piece of wood in his hand. A bright red light was emitted and in front of him stood a statue of the Sun God, very similar to the other sculptures. _I know that red light!_ The crowd beside me augmented their buoyancy and applauded more.

The brothers and I exchanged looks, me expressing more shock than Al and Ed. "It's obvious he's using alchemy" Al said.

"Still, something's not right" Ed said.

I exclaimed, "Guys, I've seen this type of red light before when entered through the-"

"Hey guys!" Rose interrupted me and rushed towards us. "How're you liking your first miracle gathering? He's amazing, isn't he?"

"Well, he's amazing at acting" I said, "They're not miracles. He's using alchemy and deceiving you all."

Rose shot me an angry glare, but Al tried to mitigate the situation, "Hey, we don't know that. All we know it that he's ignoring the laws of equivalent exchange."

Ed said, "Yes, the output has to have an equal mass and the same materials as the input. You can't just create something out of thin air."

"And Father Marshmallow is totally ignoring the law!" I said.

"Because he's working miracles!" Rose yelled, particularly at me.

As I continued to watch the deception going on at the stage, a young girl came and handed a parrot to Cornello, which was most likely dead, seeing that it didn't try to fly away and lay still in his gigantic hands. The red light was yet another time emitted from Cornello's hand and the bird was magically brought back to life. The bird stirred slowly and sat on the deceiver's shoulder. It didn't look ordinary anymore, however; it had red eyes with no iris or whites of the eyes that were visible.

I stared at the Elric brothers and mouthed _philosopher's stone_ , so that Rose couldn't hear us. Al nodded and Ed smirked at me. _This is it. The journey is finally coming to an end._

* * *

o0❤0o

I stood in front of the wired telephone and simply stared at it while biting my bottom lip nervously. "If you're going to use it, use it soon Ma'am. I need to make a call" the shopkeeper said.

My hands shook as I picked up the phone and dialed Mustang's number. _Should I be angry at him? What will I say to him? I'll be leaving you forever and going back to my world soon? I'll miss you? Will I never see you again? Will you please talk to me again?_

 _Will you remember me?_

The vibrations in my chest sped up each passing second as I continued to wait. After what seemed like an hour, a voice was finally audible through the phone.

"Colonel Mustang speaking."

"R-Roy."

"Maya? How are- What do you want?"

"I wanted to say that...to tell you...to ask you, how are you doing?" _What the hell, Maya?_

My heart sank as he said coldly, "Better than ever. I have the whole house to myself."

"How are things going in Loire?"

"I wanted to tell you about that. I think we found the philo-" My sentence was interrupted by someone's obnoxious laughter. A girl's laughter, to be specific. "Roy, I'm back! Now let's go! To our same place as usual. **Our** favorite restaurant!"

"Roy? Who's that?!" I asked.

"That's just-"

"Come one, handsome. Keep the phone! Pay attention to me!" the girl's voice said. _Beep. Beep_. I heard the call end and I slammed the phone back.

 _The restaurant girl? I should have known something was going on between them!_ I stormed out of the shop, with waterfall of tears continuously streaming down my cheeks. _It's my fault, I shouldn't have had feelings for him in the first place. I knew he dated many girls. I knew he thought I was a child._

"Hey! Watch out!" a man yelled as I accidently crashed into him while running. I got up quickly and resumed my rampage. I ran through random streets and pathways, ignoring the annoyed stares that people were giving me. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of a white building, possibly a church. Without giving another thought, I thrushed the door open and entered the interior that was lit with several candles. I sat on one of the brown benches and gave a perfunctory look to the Sun God statues, the tears being long gone since there was no strength remaining inside me.

I heard soft footsteps behind me and saw Rose enter, with a candle in her hand. "I didn't know you of all people would be here" she said and went near the statues to light more candles.

"You look rather pale. What happened?" When I didn't respond, she turned her back towards me and continued, "Well, you can seek the Sun God's grace then. He'll guide you. Just like he guided me."

 _She has a point. Why am I pale? I should be content. I'll be seeing my parents soon._

Just then, Ed stomped inside the church, with a grin placed on his face. He must have entered through the side door as I hadn't heard his footsteps. Since I was seated in a shadowed part of the church and I couldn't find my voice, Ed didn't seem to notice me and sat in the front row, near where Rose was now polishing the altar.

"So if you pray and polish the altar several times, someone who's dead will be brought back to life." Ed said, directing it at Rose. I had told him and Al about Rose's foolish attempt in bringing her boyfriend back to life and her outlandish deal with Devil Cornello.

"Something like that!" Rose said, with her casual, cheerful demeanor.

Ed signed, pulled out a book from his red coat, and began reading something, "Water, carbon, ammonia, phosphorous, salt, sulfur..." He continued on and on about various other substances.

"What are these?" Rose asked, confused.

"These are all the ingredients of an average adult human body. Even though science has given us a complete breakdown, there has never been a successful attempt at bringing back a human. There is still something missing. Something scientists haven't been able to find in centuries of research. So what makes you think that hack-job priest will be able to?"

"In case you're wondering," Ed continued as Rose frowned, "These ingredients could be bought on a child's allowance. There's no magic to it."

"Well if there's no magic, then you try to do it." Rose spat at Ed.

"Just a matter of time, Rose. Science will find its way. It's the answer to everything. You might as well drop the sculptures and pick up an alchemy book. We're the closest things to God there are."

"You're not a God, you're nothing close to it!"

"And neither is the sun. Get close to it like Cornello claims and all you'll do is burn up."

Just then, I heard a gun being shot to the right of the altar and saw the helmet of an armor flying and landing on the ground with an audible _thud_.

 _Al's armor?_ A muscular man in a black clergy uniform, similar to the one Cornello was wearing before, stepped from the right door and faced Ed, holding a gun in his in hand. Behind him, the rest of Al's armor hung limp and mocked the helmet's act of falling on the ground. _Al!_

As Rose stood shocked and Ed glared, the clergyman said, "These two are enemies of God."

Almost immediately, Al's amor got up from the ground and Al said, "I don't think so, mister."

The man seemed so horrified that he turned and faced Al and backed down several steps. I finally found my voice and exclaimed, "Al!" as the blue light flowed from my hands and I handed him the helmet that had fallen on the floor. Ed's surprised look was later replaced by a smirk on his lips as he saw me. Rose looked like she had just seen Satan himself.

"Al doesn't have neither a head nor a body!" Rose yelled and covered her mouth in shock.

"Please don't be scared, Rose. This is how I am." Al said. Rose turned her wide eyes at me and stared at my hands. She was probably wondering how I was able to use a blue light. I was about to explain it to her, but the thought of Roy returned in my head again and I remained quiet. _And I know I can be naive sometimes, Roy. But this is how_ _ **I**_ _am!_

Rose screamed, began running rapidly, and exited through the left door. The brothers and I followed behind her and stopped when we entered a dark room. The lights instantly lit up and we saw Rose standing on a big platform to the front. The rest of the room was filled with sand and was structured in a circular manner, like a fighting ground for gladiators. From the right of the stage, Cornello entered, with the same green parrot as before sitting on his shoulder.

"State Alchemists, the brutal forces. I had a feeling one of you would show up someday." the joke-of-a-priest said.

Ed replied, "Let's not stock that up for pious premonitions, okay? You know we'd come for the philosopher's stone."

"You mean, this, young man?" the Devil said and lifted up his hand to show a golden ring with a red stone. _The stone looks exactly like the one the old woman had given me before I entered Amestris._

"It's now ours, Al, Maya." Ed muttered before turning back to Cornello, "The stone is ours. Hand it over, now and we won't tell the people what you've been doing.

"And what is that? Restoring the town to peace and prosperity? Nobody wants me to leave. Now do they Rose?" He turned to Rose and faced her as his eyebrows drew up and his face changed, making it clear that his soul was cruel and full of filth. I shivered as I remembered that Tucker also had the same look before he was taken to jail by the authorities. _My heart was sunk that day with depression, but Roy had given me a shoulder to cry on._

"No! You're just a con-man!" Al said.

"Does a con-man make the town rich again? Why does the military wants to destroy it?"

"I don't care what the military wants," Ed explained, "I want that stone for me. I need that stone! We need it to make something right again!"

Rose gasped. "So that's what this is about! This is all about you and what you want. What about us? You don't care!" _This is all about you and what you want, Roy. First you pretend that you want me and now you want her? You don't care about me at all!_

"If you want the philosopher's stone, you'll have to take it from me!" the marshmallow smiled melancholically. The stone shone its red light again and instantly the sand that we were standing on rose up, causing me to trip and fall flat on the grainy substance.

"Maya! Ed!" Al screamed as he sunk deep down into the sand since his armor got filled up. _You are full of lust and deceivance, Roy. You'll soon sink down._

Ed called back to Al and I just moved my head side to side, trying to figure out where Al was since my throat was dry again.

"This is all sand! You two can't draw transmutation circle in it either! Let me introduce you to one of my creations - a chimera!"

The child-of-Satan reached out behind him and pulled out a lever. I heard a growling noise to my right and saw blood-red eyes staring hungrily at me. When the creature stepped out of the shadow, its grey body shone in the light, which consisted of the head of a lion and the tail of an alligator. _Tucker had created the chimera in a similar way!_ Anger took over me and I found myself strike the lion on its head with the blue light that was released from my hands. Then I kicked it on its head and its neck. The lion flew across the room and sank somewhere in the sand.

"How's that possible?! How-how did you do that without a transmutation circle?!" The Cornello-dog barked quickly.

"Bring me their head, my pet!" Cornello said as he threw the parrot from his shoulder towards us. After the red stone emitted the light again, the bird became enormous and flew towards us.

Ed performed his alchemy and drew out a fancy metal spear from the ground. He then stabbed the parrot on its abdomen while it desperately tried to injure him with its claws. The bird managed to break the spear quickly and grabbed one of Ed's legs. I was prepared to attack the bird, but Ed laughed and said, "Wrong leg, pal." He released himself from the grip of the parrot and kicked its face. It flew several meters and landed near Cornello's feet.

Just when the marshmallow began freaking out and Ed smiled, I heard the roar again, but from my left this time. The chimera came running towards me with full speed, its mouth open and revealing rows of sharp teeth to devour me and rip me apart. Now as I think about it, I could have used water alchemy. I could have called Ed for help. Or, I could have just ran from where it was coming to pounce on me. Instead, I just stood there, staring at the creature, its unnerving claws, its flickering tail, and its black tongue that was craving to pleasure every bit of my blood, flesh, and bones. Maybe I was scared of it. Maybe I was too tired from crying about Roy. Maybe I just wanted to die.

As the rotting stench of the chimera came closer, Ed stepped in front of me. I stared in horror as he let the creature drag its teeth into his leg and his hand. I was about to use alchemy again, but stopped as I realized that his right leg and his right hand were mechanical.

"What's the matter, you little bastard? Can't get a good taste?" Ed said and kicked the thing away from him. I glared at the creature and let my emotions slip again as I kicked it and punched it several times. Finally, I picked up its tail and threw it across the room.

"Your limbs, they're fake!" Cornello cried as he saw Ed's mechanical placings underneath his ripped clothing.

Rose let out a loud gasp and Ed said, "Don't look away, Rose. You need to see what happens when you try to bring a human to life. When you cross God's territory, or whatever the hell it is. Is this what you want?!"

"I see," the rotten-marshmallow said, "you tried to cross the line. You tried to create human life and your bodies were taken to the other side."

I saw Al struggling to get up from the sand-covered ground so I went to help him while Cornello was occupied verbally harassing Ed. Al and I soon stood near Ed and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Alchemists are forbidden to transform lead into gold. But there is one practise more forbidden, transmuting of human souls." Beside Cornello, Rose gasped. "You miserable, little boys! You failed in doing so!"

"But we only wanted our mother back..." Al said and I reached over and held one of Al's palms into mine.

"I would call this a failure, alright," Ed muttered, "I lost my arm and leg and Al lost his body. This is what happens when you try to bring the dead back to life! Is this what you want Rose?!"

One the platform, Rose looked paralyzed and Cornello put his filthy hand on her. "Don't let them worry you, Rose. You forget that the great Sun God has blessed me with the philosopher's stone."

"Don't be ridiculous! No matter the powers, some things can't be done!" Ed exclaimed.

"Then why do you want the stone?" Cornello challenged.

Al said quietly, "We want it to get my body and brother's arm and leg back." He looked at me and smiled, "And we want to get our friend back home." _Right. Remember your purpose, Maya. Your goal was never about Roy. It was about your parents. You have to get back to them._

"We will ask one more time. Please give us the stone." Al said and held out his hand in front of him. A red light was emitted behind Cornello, who had positioned his hands behind him. Rose took a few steps away from the man when he brought a huge black army gun and pointed it at us. "Wrath of God!" the dog said and began firing at us.

I immediately drew out my water bubble and shielded us while Ed worked on creating a tall wall between Cornello and us. From the back door, the clergyman from before and several others entered, carrying guns and other weapons. "This way, guys." Ed said and Al and I followed him.

When we reached the dead end, I gathered tons of water and threw it at the wall with full force, causing the bricks to fall and giving us a way to exit. To my annoyance, we encountered yet another wall surrounding the room, so Ed used alchemy to create a metal door where the bricks had been. This way, we ran outside into the dark streets and alleys of the night.

As we stopped to catch our breath and sat at a bench that was surrounded with the statues of the Sun God, the speaker above a pole made a noise. " _People of Liore. This evening, the unbelievers tried to take the life of Prophet Cornello."_

Within minutes, we were surrounded by men, women and children, all holding a weapon of some kind and still in their nightgowns. "How could you do this!" someone said. "Be believed you!" someone else added and soon everyone started blurting out curses and sentences of betrayal.

"The priest, he a phony. He's just using alchemy!" Ed said.

"Liar!" I heard a female voice from somewhere behind the crowd. Everyone parted sideways to reveal Rose standing there, with tears in her eyes. "Just now, my boyfriend spoke to me. Cornello's bringing him back."

"You see!" A woman said. "He's not the first one either. There were many others who were brought back to life."

Ed said, "Has anyone seen these people? Because I heard that they left the town soon after they were alive again."

I heard a thumping sound behind me and saw the statue of the stupid Sun God move. Several other sculptures came into view, and soon the brothers and I were surrounded by a dozen of them. One of them flung the rod in its hand and hit Al, making him fall. "Al!" I yelled and was about to use alchemy, but I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. I turned around and saw the clergyman from before, with an iron rod in his hand. I stumbled and hit the floor, my eyes threatening to close. Before my eyelids shut completely, I saw Al struggling to break from the sculptures while Ed was being hit by four of them in his ribs. _No, I can't let this happen. I have to protect my brothers. I have to get the stone and go back to mom and dad. I have to forget about Roy._

* * *

 **Stay tuned, there will be more unexpected secrets about Maya's past. (Although you guys might have guessed the one in this chapter.)**


	15. Moving on

**Sorry I have finals so I posted this chapter late.**

 **It might take a while for the next chapter. I have like so many things going on and I have procrastinated on most of them. ^_^**

* * *

 _"If there is ever a tomorrow that we are not together, there is one thing you should always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is: even if we're apart, I will always be with you in the heart."_

 _~ Winnie the Pooh_

 **Chapter XV - Moving on**

When my vision was still blurry, a pair of narrowed eyes holding no eyelashes were glaring at me. From a confined vision, I saw a smirk forming on the colorless lips of my kidnapper. I snapped my eyes open immediately as I realized that Cornello was standing before me, possibly in the same church that I was in before. The tall golden statues of the Sun God towered over me from behind Cornello and the candles that Rose had lit were placed neatly near the altar.

I felt strong arms holding me and I tried to free myself despite being restless, but this just caused whoever was holding me to tighten their grip. Just as I was about to yell at the fake-priest, his hand rested on my silver pocket-watch that was dangling from my belt, near my waist. Cornello snapped it off before going over to Ed, who was restrained by two men holding him to my right, and taking his pocket-watch as well.

"So this is the State Alchemists' watch. This is the reason why you two can do alchemy without a transmutation circle. It amplifies all of your work!" His grin grew and his eyes widened. "I think you'll be quite harmless without it!"

The marshmallow held both of out pocket watches and laughed maniacally. Ed and I exchanged smirks and pretended to be in distress as the baldy's laugh echoed throughout the white church. _Oh no, baldy! We're so helpless now!_

* * *

o0❤0o

"Why can't I use alchemy to free us both?"

"Because we need to expose him to everyone, Maya!"

"But I want to kick his donkey right now and get the stone!" I glared angrily at Ed.

"We need to follow the plan and then we can get the stone. Try to understand, Maya. Why do you have to act like a child all the time?!"

At this, I stopped yelling and stared down at the grey cobblestones that covered the compact cell that we were placed in. I let myself hang loosely to the mercy of the chains that tied my arms. Ed must have noticed my melancholic behavior because he closed his eyes and spoke with a softer tone.

"We'll just wait for Al now."

Just then, I heard a loud bang behind the wall I was leaning against. A metal hand came through the tiny hole near the corner, which later grew bigger as the intruder smashed the wall open. After Al came through the gap, I threw my arms around him.

"It's okay, I'm fine" Al said after I frantically asked if he was okay multiple times. "We need to get Rose to safety and then expose Cornello."

"How're you going to do that?" I asked.

Ed put on his usual smirk, "Just keep an eye on the clock, Maya. I'll help you wack his donkey soon."

* * *

o0❤0o

Al and I slowly made our way through the corridor outside the cell and checked several rooms to see if we could spot Rose in any of them. I had begged the brothers to let me come with Al and carry out the exciting part of the mission instead of sitting around with Ed. To make sure the dumb-priest didn't get suspicious, Ed and Al created a metal version of myself that looked quite realistic, except for the hair, which I had colored blue with my alchemy. I had remained quiet through our little talk with the marshmallow earlier, so I figured he wouldn't know if it was actually me or not if Ed tells him I'm still unconscious.

" _What! No, it can't be!"_ I heard Rose's voice coming from inside a room and I called Al over.

Since my childhood expertise was peeping through the door and eavesdropping, I decided to sharpen my skills. Rose was standing to the left and facing Cornello, while his back was facing me. A huge white bird was sitting on a platform in the middle of the room and was cocking its head in an enigmatic manner. I noticed that there were several feathers of all kinds scattered everywhere in the room.

" _What's wrong, Rose? You got your wish,"_ the marshmallow was saying, " _I'm afraid that even with the philosopher's stone I couldn't forge a human soul. I had to use the souls of these birds!"_

With that, Cornello starting heading towards the room's door. I pulled Al to the corner of another corridor while we both stared at the scene in front of us.

"You shouldn't have disobeyed me, Rose!" Cornello said and closed the room after exiting it. After he went towards another set of rooms, Al and I threw open the door of Rose's room. The white parrot was muttering "Rose!" repeatedly and coming towards Rose. Before it could do anything to her, Al grabbed it by its neck and flung it across the room. I went towards it and got rid of its misery by suffocating it with water.

"Come on" Al said and held his hand towards Rose. She glanced at me briefly and grimaced, but looked back to Al and took his hand. Together, we reached the roof, where Al had already set up wires and other devices that were plugged into a huge brass bell and a speaker. As we sat there waiting for Ed to carry out rest of the plan, I went to sit beside Rose despite her clear hatred towards me.

"Are you okay, Rose?" I asked.

"You must be pleased that you were proven right," she laughed mockingly, "Turns out human souls can't be recreated after all."

I sat there silently for a while and looked up at the clear sky. It was early afternoon with bright sunlight streaming pleasantly by the placid blue sky. The puffy clouds were gliding by smoothly as if setting the mood for a new beginning.

"You remember what you told me earlier, Rose? About my...boss. I called him a while back and he has moved on."

I appreciated it as she remained silent and I continued, "You were right that sometimes you shouldn't give up on people. But it's also true that sometimes staying hurts more that giving up...I know you're upset about his death. But you have to move on, Rose. You have to make a new and better life for yourself."

When she turned to face me, the angriness in her eyes had calmed down a bit and was replaced by a mix of joy and sadness, if that makes sense. I heard a loud buzz coming from the brass bell and saw that Al had turned on the speaker.

" _I'm not after money,"_ Cornello was saying, " _I want believers who gladly throw their lives in my name. And why not? They believe that I can resurrect them. They aren't afraid to die!"_

" _Marked my words,"_ the fool continued and I put on an amused look, surprised that he hadn't found out about the hidden microphone that we had installed in the cell. " _One day I'll have as many followers as to tear this country apart! In my name!"_

Ed spoke this time, " _Once you cut me down, I'm gone for good. After all, there's no real way to bring people back to life, right?"_

 _This blonde kid is smart. He'll definitely go to places._

" _I'm afraid that's right. Even with the philosopher's stone I wouldn't dare try human alchemy. And why would...Wait a second! What! You have a microphone in there! How long is that thing been on?"_

 _Long enough for you to dig your own grave._

" _How did you get my speaker equipment?!"_ Cornello's panicked voice rang loudly as Al and I giggled together.

" _Al and Maya got it. I know, you thought you smashed Al into pieces, but that's just a metal that I whipped out. And the same goes for Maya's sculpture sitting right here next to me!"_

" _No, my children. He lies. Don't believe him!"_ The marshmallow yelled, followed by the sound of bullets. Soon after, Al, Rose, and I saw Cornello and Ed stream out of the room, Cornello being chased by Ed.

Al and I rushed to stand beside Ed when Cornello was greeted by several citizens on the stage who were holding metal rods and weapons of all kinds. Just as I thought we would get the philosopher's stone now, the idiot spoke again to the crowd.

"Don't worry, my children. That was just an act cooked by the non-believers. I still have God's light with me." With that, he used the stone again to create more of his absurd Sun God sculptures.

"Give up now already!" I yelled at Cornello. He responded by turning towards me with an amused look.

"Didn't know she talks" he said, directing it towards Ed and Al.

"I don't just talk, hon" I said and gave him a smirk, "I also do things." The blue light was released from my hands to form a huge sculpture of the supposedly Sun God that was twice the size of the original ones. The water sculpture moved several feet to stand in front of Cornello. Ed followed my lead and drew up one of his own metal sculptures that was about the same size as mine. Both mine and Ed's sculptures went to punch Cornello while he screamed, but hit the ground next to him instead.

 _Now the stone is finally ours!_ I went towards the fake-priest that was shivering like a drenched cat to snatch the stone away from him. "No! Don't take it! It's mine!" he yelled possessively like a little kid as I approached him.

Before I reached towards it, however; Cornello's hand that had the stone on it shrunk in size as nerves, tendons, and layers of tissues began to erupt from his skin.

"It's recoiling!" Ed said and we all went to look at it closer.

The stone on the ring glowed brighter as it finally exploded and was vanished within seconds.

"It's an imitation!" Al said.

"After all this trouble it turns out to be a fake!" I yelled, followed by Ed, "It's a fake! Stop jerking me around!"

* * *

o0❤0o

The brothers and I were standing by the side of a road, with our faces hanging low in the late afternoon. _I was so close to seeing mom and dad again._

"You should have never come here. Father Cornello gave us hope. But you took it away." Rose said as soon as she stormed in on us. "We are a desert village. We had nothing before he came!"

Ed said, "So you're saying we should've let everything go on like it was?"

"Why not? At least then I knew that my boyfriend would come back. I have nothing to live for now!"

"Didn't I tell you to move on Rose?," I stepped into the conversation, "Even you doubted that he would ever come back. You knew that it would never work out, Rose. Step out of your bubble that things must go on how you want it to be. You've got a pair of legs. Get up and move forward."

Rose sank down on her knees and I walked past her to head to my room to get my suitcase. Al and Ed silently walked behind me until be reached the same building where Rose had told me to stick with a relationship. I walked past the same garden that seemed to be filled with more thrones than there were roses.

* * *

o0❤0o

I combed my half-blue and half-black hair and tied it in a neat ponytail. I then changed into a pink tank top that was sleeveless and perfect for the hot desert weather. I was so glad to take off my scarf, that I had been wearing for a couple of days despite the heat to hide the marks that Mustang had made that night. They were completely gone and I was ready to forget that night and move on.

Just as I took my suitcase and was about to head out, I saw a folded paper sitting on the desk. _This wasn't here before._

When I opened it, something was written in fancy cursive letters. ' _Maya, remember this?_ ' it said. As I stared at the paper with a confused look, I noticed a photograph sitting on the desk as well. There were two babies in the photograph, one boy and one girl. The boy looked a few years older than the girl, but he was still very young. The girl had short hair, but its color was a beautiful midnight blue throughout. Her dark skin and many of her facial features looked exactly like mine, but more angel-like and young. Her deep blue eyes were twinkling innocently as the boy's black orbs were looking at her. The boy's hair was the same color as his eyes, pure black. A fire symbol was drawn on the tan-skinned boy's abdomen. It did not look like an alchemic symbol, or any other symbol that I had ever seen so far.

 _Wait, this can't be me and-and Mustang?_

 _But this's my first time in this world! Does that mean he came to my world when we was a baby?_

My eyes widened as I realized that both kids were placed in the center of an enormous transmutation circle. _I must be mistaken. Many people look alike as babies. It couldn't be Mustang. I don't think it's me, either. The girl has all blue hair. And mine are only half blue..._

 _The intruders from two nights before must have left it here._

* * *

o0❤0o

I leaned my head against the window and watched everything speed past me as the train started to move.

"You okay, Maya?" Al asked.

Ed said, "Yeah, I thought you'd be happy that you'll get to stay with Mustang for more time since we couldn't find the stone."

"Well, the only people I want to see more than anyone else are my parents. And Mustang's not in my life anymore... He's moved on and I should too."

The brothers stared at each other in disbelief. Finally, Ed laughed and said "Good one!" When they noticed that I didn't respond or laugh with them, they stopped laughing and Al said, "Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah. I had um, called him a while back. And he was about to go on a date with someone else. But it's okay, guys, I've learned that everyone should move on at some part in their lives. It's not like it was working out anyway. I mean he thought that I was a chi-"

I stopped talking when Ed suddenly got up from his seat and started heading towards another car of the train.

"Brother, where're you going?" Al called.

"I'm gonna make a call to that bastard. Who does he think he is? Dumping my sister like that, like she's not worth a thing!"

Al rushed behind Ed and I remained perplexed where I was in my seat as I tried to control my overwhelming feelings. On one hand, the feeling of being hurt by Mustang hit me once again while I was overcome with joy that Ed cared about me so much.

Once I regained my control, I went to find the brothers, who were standing near a telephone booth on the train that had a huge line of people waiting for their turn. Once I found them, I embraced them in a huge hug. As they hugged me back, my emotions couldn't contain any longer and tears streamed down my eyes.

I drew back and looked at them. "Guys, it's okay, really. You don't have to do this. Like I said, I'm ready to move on."

"But how can we let it go so easily, Maya? You're the one who called us your brothers after all. And we need to do exactly what a brother would do." Al said.

"Yeah," Ed agreed. "How can he be romantic to you once and forget about you soon after? I won't be in peace until I kick his butt."

"Listen, guys, don't. What we had was never really romantic anyway," I tried to convince them.

"Oh, yeah! What about the hickey?!" Ed yelled and I blushed a little.

"He just tried to kiss me, that's all. And that too it was without my permission, so it wasn't romantic at all."

"What?!" It was Al's turn to yell this time. "He kissed you without your permission?! Brother, I'll kick your butt if you don't kick Mustang's butt because this is rape!"

I stared at Al since it was his first time using a curse word and being that angry. _The situation is getting worse the more I try to control it!_

"It's not rape. I didn't push him away either. And we didn't do anything too sexual." I held both of their hands in mine, in an attempt to calm them down. "And if you yell at him like this, he might kick you out of this job, Ed! He's our mean old boss after all!"

"I don't care! I'll quit this bloody job it if means to make him pay for what he did to you."

"But Ed, Al, think calmly for a second. We'll not be able to find out about the philosopher's stone if you quit this job! Ed, you need it for your arm and leg. Al, you need it to get your body back. And I need it to get back to my parents, guys. We were so close to achieving our goal today. We shouldn't let guy problems and players get the best of us."

The brothers remained silent for a while and Al finally spoke softly. "She's right, brother."

Ed was still quiet, but nodded slightly. "But you should let me go against him in an alchemy match when we get back there."

As I spoke, Ed smirked. "Deal. I want to kick his butt in alchemy too. Let's see who wins, water or fire."

"Now we're talking!" Ed said and we three headed back to our seat.

As we sat down, Al turned to me, "Don't worry, Maya. We'll find a guy way better than that for you."

"Thanks, guys," I said and smiled at both of them. "You're really the best brothers ever."

We all glanced outside the window for a couple of minutes and later Ed broke the silence and smirked. "So, what kind of guy do you want, Maya?"

"Someone who likes rain," I said. "I want someone to kiss me in the rain while the whole world hides behind an umbrella."

* * *

o0❤0o

"Are you guys sure it's okay to stop here? We're supposed to go straight to East City." Al said.

"We might find something about the philosopher's stone here." I said. "And besides, I don't want to see the face of our respected boss anytime soon."

Ed said, "As much as I'd like to make that bastard pay, I don't want to go there without getting any proof about the stone. That bastard will just taunt me and make an excuse about not doing an alchemy match."

When we got down from the train and entered the city, a large sign reading 'Aquroya' welcomed us. My mood suddenly lifted up when I saw the breathtaking view of the city. The streets were covered with white cobblestones, unlike the grey ones that I was used to and almost every street and pathway was surrounded by water on at least one side. From the clear waters flowed many canoes and other boats with couples riding on them. The streets with deserted with people wearing expensive clothes and dragging along their well-groomed pets. There also seemed to be many tourists since many held cameras in their hands.

As we continued to walk, a white cat came to my side and purred beside my leg. My love of cats made me instantly get down on my knees to pet it as it meowed happily at me interaction. A carriage suddenly drove past us, causing the water on the streets to splash on the cat and on Ed. _Perks of being short I guess!_

"Hey! Watch it!" Ed yelled as I giggled and used alchemy to clean up the muddy cat. Ed did the same to his clothes.

I felt someone's hand on my wrist and saw a man in a long coat looking at me and Ed. "You both have to come with me to the police station," he said. _What a great beginning in a new city!_

* * *

o0❤0o

"I still have my doubts that you're a State Alchemist because you're so short." The officer said to Ed.

"Who're you calling a tiny yellow ant?!" Ed yelled.

Al tried to mitigate the situation, "Brother, stop. No one said that."

Ed calmed down and sank back on his seat to eat his bowl of noodles. I was worried for this kid as it was his third bowl in the last ten minutes. I was also given a bowl, but it reminded me too much of Mustang's delicious cooking. I decided to ignore the pungent smell of soy sauce coming from the bowl and instead stroked the white fur of the cat that I had found earlier. I wasn't going to leave that poor adorable thing to roam around in the streets on its own. So, it was currently sitting on lap and drinking milk from a container.

"Sorry for the third degree. We had to test you," the officer was saying, "We've got a thief in our bag named Siren. She's got us all tied up."

"Siren?" I thought out loud.

"Yes," the officer continued, "Her real motives of the theft are unknown. All we got is that she uses alchemy."

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Mustang's POV**

I tried shifting my sleeping position multiple times, but sleep still didn't take over me. I sat up from the bed and turned the lights on. Whenever I closed my eyes I would see her face, her blue eyes, her soft hair, and her plump lips. I hadn't called her back after Lindsey had interrupted our conversation. I mean, why should I? After all, she had not liked it when I kissed her. But I still couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason why she had cried. _Did she really think I forced it on her?_ _But her body had responded with my every move, when her heart beat faster the closer I came, when her hands brushed my hair as we kissed, when she moaned at the feel of my tongue on her skin..._

I brushed the thoughts aside and went over to my desk. I pulled out the photograph that was slightly crumpled near the corner and held it in my hands. It was a picture of a baby girl, maybe only months old. Her hair was completely blue, and was cut short. Her blue eyes were examining the lush green grass underneath her as her white tunic was stained brown with mud.

I had found the photo in a playground when I was probably in elementary school. When I had looked at the baby in the photo, I had taken an instant liking to her. I had held on to it most of my school days so I that I would show all my friends what my future wife would be like. All these days I had kept it safe even though I didn't know who the little girl was. _Now I know. Maybe the girl in the photo is Maya. But how did her photo reach here if it's her first time coming to to this world? No, it might be someone else then._

Whoever the baby was, she was really important to me. The day that I had first seen her photo was also the first day I had learned to use fire alchemy. Although Hawkeye's dad had taught me the complicated manipulation of fire alchemy, I had first used it after seeing the photograph. Even when I had fought the Ishvalan War the baby girl was a sense of hope holding me together when my guilt of killing thousands of innocent people was tearing me apart. In fact, I wondered if the baby was also Ishvalan. Her dark skin and her clothes seemed like it, but her hair and eyes were altogether exotic.

 _My heart is not ready to give up on the fact that she might be Maya. Why do I keep thinking about her the more I try to forget her? If only she knew how I felt. If only she would feel the same about me..._


	16. The Thief

**I'm so happy, my cheeks hurt from smiling too much!**

 **My finals are finally over and summer break's gonna start in two days! Can't wait for it!**

 **For those of you that also had finals, good job, you made it alive.**

 **And for those who live in countries where school is still going on, loads of hugs and kisses from me. Just eat cake and count the days to your next holiday!**

* * *

 **Chapter XVI - The Thief**

"Damn that guy! He kept saying the same thing for three hours straight! He probably wears that hat to hide the hole in his brain!" Ed said as he stomped out of the police station, Al and I following behind him.

The white cat was startled by Ed's outburst and curled closer to my neck.

"Chill, Ed. He was just doing his job." I said, "Anyway, we have the whole day to ourselves, so let's have some fun!"

We were back on the streets now, walking beside stores, pathways surrounded by water, and people in elaborate clothing. Mostly men in elaborate clothing. There were men wearing ties and holding briefcases, men playing guitars and singing as someone passed by, men with muscles carrying loads of wooden baskets into stores, and men with accents convincing customers to buy their products.

"It's raining men!" I said. My gaze flew to a man selling apples nearby. He had a v-neck shirt on, revealing the top of his muscular chest that was gleaming brightly in the afternoon light. _His chest is so oily that I can make french fries right there!_ Keeping my eyes on him, I went near his apple store.

"Apples for sale. Buy a dozen for only $12" he was saying in a sexy foreign accent.

"I want a piece of that!" I said as he looked into my eyes, "I mean the apples" I added, keeping my eyes on him. As he stared at me, I tossed my hair behind my ear slowly and let my hand glide till the tips of my hair, near my waist. His eyes flew from my blue orbs, to my hair, to my skin.

"Are you sure you want just the apples, my lady?" he said as he smirked.

"Well, I'm new to this city so if someone could show me around..." I said and leaned against a box of apples, letting my chest touch the box lid.

Just then, I jumped as I felt a hand on my shoulder, only to see it was Ed. Al followed behind him and Ed said, "Where did you run off to, Maya? We were searching for you."

"You guys go have fun. I'll catch up with you guys later" I said and stared at the man again.

Ed most likely saw my gestures towards the hottie because he dragged me out of the apple shop before saying to the man, "I'm sorry. Find someone else. She's not available!"

When we were on the streets again, I snatched my hand away from Ed. "What was that for?! He was almost into me!"

"Almost into you?" Ed said mockingly, "Did you see the woman behind the shop? She's his girlfriend!"

"How do you know?!"

"Al was hitting on her and she told him."

" **You** were hitting on her, brother!" Al said.

"Doesn't matter," Ed said, "The point is that we should concentrate on finding the philosopher's stone."

I frowned and walked with the brothers, my face hanging low. _Seriously, was I about to fall for another player again?_ I stroked the cat that was in my arms, to make myself feel better.

"Oh crap!" Ed said and stopped walking. He knelt on the ground, his hands cupping his knees.

"Are you okay, brother?" Al said, "You don't look so good."

"My stomach, it hurts!"

* * *

o0❤0o

"Well it looks like a little bit of food poisoning, that's all." the doctor said as he adjusted his round spectacles.

We were in the city hospital now, that was also luxuriant, like the rest of the city.

"Is it from eating too much noodles?" Al suggested.

"Oh shut up!" Ed said and went back to hugging his stomach and grumbling. _Poor thing, looks worse than me on my periods._

The grey-haired doctor examined the papers on his desk. "We'll just give you an injection and it'll be fine."

At the mention of the word 'injection', Ed's eyes popped open and his face turned white. He got up from his chair and started heading towards the door.

"No, I don't need an injection, I'm fine now." Ed said nervously, "I don't have stomach pain anymore. What even is stomach pain? Never heard of it before!"

I watched in amazement as Al caught Ed's arm and stopped him from getting out of the room. "Let me go! I'm fine now!" Ed yelled and attempted to flee, like a little mouse running away from a cat. Speaking of cats, the white cat that was sitting on my lap went near Ed when he was screaming to get away and snarled at him. I giggled at the scene before me as Al and the doctor desperately tried to make Ed stay still while the cat stared angrily, irritated by the commotion that Ed was creating.

Seeing no progression, I was about to get up and help the doctor and Al when a nurse with golden hair burst into the room quickly, with an injection in her hand. As Ed was busy yelling at the doctor not to force him, she pushed the injection into Ed's arm without him even noticing it.

"There, you're all done Ed" she said and smiled at Ed kindly, "That didn't hurt at all, did it?"

"Yeah, he didn't even notice!" I exclaimed.

"We all have to grow up sometime, right?" the nurse said and smiled, her brown eyes gleaming warmly. Although the nurse looked a only a few years older than me, she reminded me so much of my mom, with the same golden hair, the same warm smile, the same kindness in her eyes.

"Is the rude commentary included in the bill?" Ed said, frowning at the nurse. _How rude can you be, Ed? She's so kind and really good at her job. She's pretty too._

* * *

o0❤0o

"The nurse is so kind, I just can't stop thinking about her" Al said and leaned back against the wooden bench. We wearing sitting in the hospital's garden, observing the golden-haired nurse from earlier. She smiled her kind smile again when a patient said that he didn't like the food. She cut the patient some apple slices and told him that it's okay if he wanted to eat something different today.

"You have the weirdest taste in women, Al" Ed said.

As the nurse was handing the apple slices to the patient, his hand slipped and the slices fell on the ground. Al got up and went to the nurse. He grew a transmutation circle where the slices were and used alchemy to make the apple whole again.

The nurse didn't seem too shocked by this, to my surprise, and instead frowned. "You're an alchemist!"

"Mr. Elric! Ms. Starling!" someone called and we saw the same officer from the police station run to us. _Great, now this guy has to come in. I'm so done with this guy's interrogation._ "We know who you are, now!"he exclaimed, "Please come with us. We need your help!"

Ed and I looked at each other and exchanged annoyed looks, but acquiesced with the officer. We we were heading out with the officer, when I stopped and faced the nurse. "Thank you" I said.

She came near me and cupped one of my cheeks in her hands. "Your welcome" she said and smiled at me. I drew back awkwardly and followed the brothers. _Mom, I'll try to find the philosopher's stone as soon as possible and get back to you._

* * *

o0❤0o

 _Ten? Twenty? No, probably like fifty!_ When we entered the same police station again, we saw rows and rows of bowls filled with noodles lining on the table in front of us. There were several officers lining either side of the table, all of them wearing police hats and sunglasses. They seemed to be lower in rank than the officer that brought us there.

"Officers," the main officer said, "presenting State Alchemists Edward Elric and Maya Starling. Salute!" All of the officers brought their hands to their heads and saluted us simultaneously. I stood intimidated on being the center of attention, while Al stood calmly and Ed was digging in his bowl of noodles, forgetting the whole world around him.

The main officer came closer to me and Ed. "I want to apologize for earlier, for all of the questions. I got in touch with Colonel Mustang at the Eastern command center." My heart thumped at the mention of Mustang's name for some reason, but I ignored it.

"He sounded nice," the officer continued, "Angry but nice." _Yep, that's him, alright_. "He said you two really are state alchemists!"

"Like I said!" Ed blurted between his chewing.

"That's why I wanted to ask you-" Before the officer could finish his sentence, Ed held his empty bowl in front of the officer's face. "Of course, eat as much as you like!" _Looks like this kid wants another injection._

* * *

o0❤0o

I stared at the gold bracelet in front of me, which was shimmering like stars in the bright light. Its center held a pink gemstone, with green and blue jewels lining the sides. Each blue gem was followed by floral patterns carved in gold. I read the description of the bracelet in the museum and fascinatingly, it was made for a random woman that this king wanted to woo. He had also agreed to give her four dogs, five cats, and a lion as a pet, but she had rejected it. _That girl was crazy! If someone would give me pets as gifts, Imma marry you!_ I glanced at the white cat, which was sleeping peacefully next to the door, curled like a ball. _At least I have one pet now._

"This is it. Psiren's next mark," the officer was telling us, "With you on our side, the city will finally catch the thief."

"We'll do whatever we can" I said.

"But that's a lot of people, lots of ways for things to go wrong" Ed said as he looked out the window. I followed his eyes and saw a huge crowd standing at the front gate of the museum, which was guarded by several officers. Many were holding signs like 'We love you Psiren' or signs with cheesy lines like 'East or west, Psiren is the best!' _They're all crazy, man! This place must be called 'Cray-Cray City' instead of Aquorya. Why're y'll supporting a thief?_

"Most thieves don't tell people about their heist," the officer was saying, "But Psiren announces every newspaper in the country! She has lots of people that admire her." _A thief with fangirls and fanboys! Never heard of that before!_

"Hopefully the fandom ends today" I said.

After the main officer went to inspect the gates, the white cat got up from its sleep and went to snarl at the ceiling, near the corner of the right wall. _You can never predict the moods of cats!_

 _Pop!_ I heard a blast to my right and soon the whole room was filled with grey smoke. The brothers and I were heading towards the golden bracelet when Al screamed. I turned around and saw that Al was nailed to wall, with knifes surrounding his body at all sides. The alarm started to buzz as the lid containing the bracelet was pulled off by a girl dressed in a black attire, wearing a mask with cat ears. She turned around and smiled at us, her brown eyes gleaming and golden hair shining brightly, despite the smoke. She was holding a strange card in her hand, which initiated a pink light as she neared the bracelet. _Alchemy!_

I stood still for a moment, thinking that her brown eyes and golden hair matched that of my mom too much. _The nurse at the hospital? We could have caught her then and there! She fooled us!_

Ed had already run after her and I followed him out the window and jumped from several rooftops using alchemy. We both landed on the top of a huge building and stopped Psiren from running by blocking her path.

"Alchemy is the greatest thing we humans have going for us. And here you are, stealing with it!" Ed said, his hands forming a fist.

I watched in shock as a pile of several cards appeared in Psiren's hand, followed by a pink and blue light. Before I could react, the light came towards me and pinned my hands on the ground, forcing my fingers to remain separated from each other. I winced from the impact and tried to free my fingers and get up, but I couldn't. It was almost as if she knew I needed to structure my fingers properly to do water alchemy.

In front of me, Psiren struck the light at Ed, who managed to escape from it. He then spun around and went to strike her back, but tripped and landed on top of her.

"Psiren, you're just-" Ed started to say, but I saw his face suddenly flush bright red, even in the darkness of the night. I couldn't quite see properly, but Ed was completely on top of Psiren while she remained in her position calmly. It hurt my neck from the position that I was in, but I managed to get a glimpse of what was going on there. One of Ed's hand was on Psiren's breast, which he was squeezing. _Ed!_

"I didn't mean that!" Ed said as he immediately got up.

Psiren just laughed, "You have never fought with a woman before, have you?"

"Don't think of her as a woman, Ed!" I yelled, "Think of her as a thief. Now catch her!"

"Don't worry, Maya," Ed yelled back, "I'll kick that a*s of hers!" He looked like he was going to use alchemy, but instead stared at her behind. _Men, I tell you._

As that supposedly brother of mine stood frozen, Psiren got up and pulled open the zip of her top. Just as I thought something perverted was going to happen between these two, the pink and blue light shined from her chest and struck Ed, pinning him to the ground with her cards, just like how she had done to me. Before she closed her zip again, I saw a black tattoo at the middle of her chest, which sort of looked a transmutation circle.

"It's a shame I can't show you my face, it's a real treat!" Psiren said before giving a flying kiss to Ed and smiling innocently at me.

"Bye, pipsqueak!" she said as she jumped over some more rooftops and was gone.

"I'm not a pipsqueak!" he yelled, "I would be tall too if I wore heels!"

* * *

o0❤0o

I heard the yelling of doctors and the sound of something falling coming from inside the room in front of me. _I had told him not to eat too much noodles! But no! No one listens to me!_ Listening to all of the commotion, I inferred that the golden-haired nurse, popularly known as Psiren, was nowhere near.

Since I knew Ed was going to protest about the injection for some more time, I decided to grab a magazine and read it. Bored, I flipped through several pages. As I was going to close it, my eyes became fixed on a page with a model in a bikini. She had curly brunette hair and green eyes with flirty long eyelashes. Her face was covered in way too much makeup, but she still managed to pull it off and look pretty. _The girl from the restaurant that Mustang's dating? So she's a model..._

In the photo, she was wearing a black bikini that emphasized all of her curves. The bikini top was a scat piece of cloth, revealing most of her chest. Her bottom too, was only a tiny string that exposed her thick thighs, slim waist, and perfect, curvy behind. _Curse that girl! So this is why Mustang is so obsessed with her!_

Next to her photo, several things were written about her like 'One of the Most Beautiful Women in Amestris' and 'Most Sexiest'. Having enough with the magazine, I tossed it across the table and glared angrily at the wall in front of me.

Ed finally came out of the room, with one of his arm holding the other protectively. We realized that Al, who was previously sitting next to me, was not there, so we went to search him in the corridors. Ed and I split ways so we could search quickly. After several minutes, I was about to turn back since I didn't find Al, but I saw a door slightly open and went towards it. Inside, I saw Ed standing next to Psiren, who was in her nurse uniform. I saw her opening her top slowly and revealing her tattoo. As Ed blushed, I panicked. _What the hell, Ed! What about Winry?!_

The moment I burst into the room to stop them a light that shone from Psiren's chest went towards a medicinal plant.

"What surprise! The kind nurse is Psiren!" I said, "Or do all nurses here have a tattoo on their chest?"

"What?" the nurse said and faked an innocent look, "I just came here to get the medicine."

"The medicine that you manufactured using alchemy!" Ed said, "Now drop the act, fraud!"

"I didn't lie" she said and smiled calmly, "I said I was beautiful."

"That not the point!" I exclaimed.

Just then, Al came into the room, calling for me and Ed. Ed told Al about the true identity of the nurse and Ed and I stared at her.

"The world is not like you think," Psiren said, "You kids won't understand."

I yelled, "I'm not a bloody kid!"

"I understand," Al said and Ed and I turned to stare at him in disbelief, "I just heard that the hospital's scheduled to be demolished."

"Clara," Al said to the nurse, "You became a thief out of necessity and compassion. You're trying to save this place, aren't you?"

The nurse hung her head low. "Yes, you're right." _Something tells me she's lying. Why was she spreading the news all over the country if this was her only motive?_

Clara, which was her real name, started crying, while twisting her hair in between her fingers gently. _Okay, she's definitely faking it. Who tries to look pretty when they're crying?_

"See, I told you" Al said.

I was about to argue with the brothers because they couldn't get past her beauty and see the truth, but I stopped when the main officer from before entered the room.

"Mr. Elric! Ms. Starling!" he came in running, but saw us all with the nurse, "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"Officer, we have found the thi-" I started to say, but Ed nudged my stomach with his arm harshly. I glared at him and he glared back at me. This continued for minutes, while everyone else stood there awkwardly without saying a word.

"Please" I heard Clara whisper. _It's harder when she looks like my mom._ I signed and averted my eyes away from Ed.

* * *

o0❤0o

"What are we going to do?" Al asked us as we stood in front of another elegant museum. The main officer had told us that he had placed a new trap to catch Psiren and we were waiting for her to come in.

"I have no idea..." I muttered and stared ahead.

After a while, Ed got up and headed towards the necklace that Psiren was going to steal that night. I followed behind him while Al remained where he was, at the front gate. We stood in the shadow of the room, where no one could see us and waited for the thief to come.

Minutes later, a pink and blue light sparkled on the door of the room, making it open. Psiren entered silently and closed the door behind her. She walked towards the necklace and snatched it, but a black cage came in from the top and trapped her. As I stood still, Ed cracked the cage open with his alchemy.

* * *

o0❤0o

Ed and I caught up with Psiren, this time on a dark street. When she saw us, she said, "Thanks for helping me, kids."

I rolled my eyes and Ed said, "It wasn't for you. It was for the hospital. I know to bend the rules sometimes to do what's right."

She smiled and came towards us. "You both are so grown up."

"I am, grown up, okay!" I exclaimed.

"Is that so?" she said, "Then as a grown up woman I want to repay my favors. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Well there is something" Ed said as he blushed. My mind was stepping into the perverted train, but Ed said, "You're an alchemist. You must have heard of the philosopher's stone before. I want you to tell me anything that you know about it."

"I'm sorry, Ed" Clara said, "I don't know anything about it. But how about this, if you do find it out, tell me. I'll be happy to steal it for you."

Clara looked at me to ask her something, but I said, "I'm happy that you can do this for the hospital."

Clara smiled and ran into the night.

* * *

o0❤0o

All of our mouths hung wide open as we stared at the ruins of the hospital. All that was remaining of it were the fallen pillars and smashed glass.

"What's happening! She tricked us!" Ed yelled.

"I knew she was lying before!" I glared at the ruins angrily.

"That's not possible. This has to be a mistake!" Al said.

As Ed and I argued against the woman and Al supported her, we heard a voice behind us.

"People must not fight. It's sinful" a familiar female voice said.

We turned around and gasped as we saw Clara wearing a nun uniform and holding a cross in her hand.

"Am I imagining this?" Al said. _Wish you were._

* * *

o0❤0o

"I tried to save the hospital, but I couldn't get the money in time. I was devastated, the guilt was too much. I didn't know how to go on! So I became a nun" Clara said dramatically and cried. _Is it normal for her to look like an angel while crying or is she faking it?_

"Poor Clara" Al said.

"I bet" Ed and I said the same thing, at the same time.

"It's the truth. This convent is scheduled to be demolished too. I only pray I can help!"

Al went to console Clara while Ed stood with his arms crossed and I sat on one of the wooden benches of the church.

* * *

o0❤0o

Al told me that Psiren had struck again, so I assumed that the convent was saved and went with the brothers to check on it. Our mouths hung open yet another time as we saw the ruins of the church.

"She tricked us again!" I exclaimed.

"This must be a mistake..." Al said.

As we argued again, I heard a female voice behind me. "Do I need to put all you kids into a corner?"

We turned around and saw Clara, wearing a pencil skirt, a blazer, and round glasses. She was surrounded was many small kids, who stood in a line behind her.

"What's Ms. World's costume this time? A teacher?" I said.

Ed also backed me up, but Al yelled for both of us to stop. Al said, "You're a school teacher now, right? You want to save a school that's about to be demolished and you won't be late this time right?"

"You guessed it!" Clara said and smiled.

"You're a liar!" Ed said and I stormed out of the place without the brothers. _I told them!_

* * *

o0❤0o

I was sitting at a cafe, drinking a cup of coffee and eating chocolate cake. _Sometimes, all you need in life is cake._

The waiter was reading a newspaper since I was the only customer. I went near him and rolled my eyes as I saw him reading about Psiren.

"Can I ask you something? Why does everyone like Psiren? Isn't she a thief after all?"

He looked up from his newspaper. "We're the city of water. And we're sinking by several feet a year. Come see us after five years and we'll be at the bottom of the lake. News like that isn't really good for the economy."

I remained silent as he continued, "The people who could leave, left. But the rest of us have nowhere to go except here. That's when she appeared, Psiren. Like a lit match on a fuse, the city burst into life. Tourists from all over came to see her. Thanks to Psiren, we're having one last bloom before we drown."

I nodded and exited the cafe silently. _She's doing this all for her home. I have lost my home for the time being, I don't want her to lose hers._

* * *

o0❤0o

The brothers and I went inside a different cafe and I ordered a cookie dough flavored ice cream cone. Struck by the sad story of the city, I stared at the table that we were sitting on. From the door, two men entered and sat down on the table next to ours. One of them was blonde and the other had black hair, but both were handsome. The black haired one looked too much like Mustang, with his formal shirt that was rolled up and his slim black tie.

Normally I would prefer classy men, but he resembled my boss way too much. So when the blonde one turned to look at me, I smiled at him. We continued to steal glances throughout the time I was eating ice cream and Ed noticed it and shaked his head, indicating a 'no'.

"What? He's perfect for me. He fits all the categories of my checklist." I whispered to Ed.

"Since when do you have a checklist?"

"Since yesterday," I said, "Look at him, he's handsome, polite to the waiter, and has a perfect deep voice." _Not to mention the fact that he doesn't seem like Mustang at all. Mustang is handsome and has abs, but doesn't have a sharp jaw line like this guy. Mustang is nice, but not all the time. And our boss has a deep voice that's husky and enticing and... Never mind, I should go talk to the blonde guy._

I got up from my seat and went towards the men. "Hi. Do you mind if I take a seat?" I asked the blonde one.

His blue eyes examined me head to toe. "Of course, please do."

The black-haired man excused himself and went somewhere. Evan, which was his name, said that he was a history teacher and talked on and on about how he enjoyed learning about different time periods and the people in it. _If only I had paid attention in history class._ I nodded at him, pretending to be interested in the conversation. I found a way to gladly change the topic to gardening, science, and animals. He didn't seem very interested as I talked about it so I stopped.

I ordered a cupcake while he ordered a salad and we eat silently. He flipped a magazine and stared at a model who had half of her shirt taken off. I realized that this was the same girl that Mustang was having an affair with and I tried to gain the attention of the man in front of me. I complimented his looks and leaned closer to the table, placing my chest on it. I smiled as his eyes scanned my chest for a while. But his stare went back to the woman in the magazine. _Seriously? She can't be sexier than me!_

I excused myself and went to the restroom. When I reached there, I looked myself in the mirror, beside the stalls. _She's more curvy than me, but I'm not that bad either. I'm pretty average._

"Hello there, kiddo." Clara said as he entered the restroom.

I cleared my throat as I probably looked like an idiot, trying to look at my behind from the mirror.

"What're you doing here?" I asked.

"I saw your little conversation with the blonde when I was sitting with the brothers so I decided to check on you." _When had she sat there?_

"If I remember correctly," she continued, "I still owe you a favor for saving me earlier."

I bit my lip and asked her, "How are you so pretty? I mean, how do you have the perfect shape? It's hard to get a guy without having a perfectly curvy shape."

She laughed. "My secret, honey, is a little bit of yoga. But let me tell you this. There'll always be people better than you and there'll always be people worse than you. But at the end of the day, everyone ends up falling for the one with the most inner beauty. Remember that." With that, she exited the restroom and was gone.

* * *

o0❤0o

I really didn't want to do it. I wanted to leave Psiren alone, especially after the kind advice that she had given me. But Ed dragged me behind him, saying that she had deceived us and we must catch her.

Ed and I saw her coming towards us, riding on a canoe. We ourselves were on a canoe and paddled towards her.

"Yes, I am a thief." Clara said as she neared us, "Someone who steals objects that don't belong to them. Like the philosopher's stone?"

"It's funny, every crook that I meet wants to tell me how I'm just like them," Ed said, "But there's a huge difference. In the burns we bear."

The pink and blue light shined from Psiren's chest again and the water in the lake struck us before I could react. _Damn my reflexes!_ The water hit us both and we sank into the water. I easily made a water bubble and transported us back on the surface. When were reached there, Ed made a metal hand using his alchemy and captured her instantly.

* * *

o0❤0o

I felt bad as I saw Clara in handcuffs, standing next to several police officers. They were taking her away to jail and it would be our last time seeing her. In the end, she proved to be a mother figure to me and I didn't that to happen to her.

"Before they hold me off, let me tell you one thing," she said to Ed, "Go to the city of Xenotime and take a good look. I've heard someone who's been researching the philosopher's stone there. Maybe he'll help you out."

Clara then walked over to me and smiled. "I'm sure you'll be able to steal a man's heart without taking your shirt off."

I smiled back at her and she was ordered to sit inside the police van. The brothers walked in front of me towards the railway station and I followed from behind, holding the white cat in hands.

When I looked back at the police car, I saw a pink and blue light shining from it and soon a figure ran out of it. I smiled as Psiren jumped over several rooftops and was gone.


	17. Strange Encounter

**I made this chapter short cuz I felt like it. To be honest, I'm kinda deciding what direction to take this story in.**

 **Maya: Hope that direction doesn't involve Mustang**

 **Me: Of course it does! If it wouldn't, how else would I express my crush on Roy without an OC?**

 **Maya: You have a crush on my man?!**

 **Me: Someone's getting possessive!**

 **Maya: I have moved on! I mean I still think he has a sexy voice, cute hair, nice abs...but I've moved on**

 **Me: ...okay...**

* * *

 **Sunshine-Girl, to answer your question - most of the story's based on the 2003 version of anime, but some parts are included from the Brotherhood version like Roy's foster mother, Chris Mustang, etc.**

 **Anyway, enjoy folks!**

* * *

 **Chapter XVII - Strange Encounter**

The train made a sharp sound as it came to a stop. I made an annoyed face as people pushed past me to get out of the train despite me carrying a heavy suitcase. The journey back was a total chaos since we had to take the crowded train instead of the one assigned to us. After Psiren had escaped I had begged the brothers to let me stay for some more time in Aquorya to fix the water problem. Thanks to my alchemy, I was able to evaporate much of the water in the lake and send it to what Ed referred to as 'God-damn sand hells'. It was like killing two birds with one arrow; Aquorya wouldn't drown below the surface and desert villages like Liore would get enough water.

But all of the evaporating, sending , and condensing it back to water had drained most of my energy. Hence my current predicament was that I wasn't even able to lift my suitcase with my hands properly, let alone use alchemy to lift it. But the good part of the trip was that I had a new pet now! I saw the white cat walk beside me and I smiled at it.

I finally got out and looked at the officers who were receiving us from the railway station. To my relief they were probably subordinate officers and none of them were high ranking like Mustang. The brothers put down their suitcases beside me and Ed made a cracking sound with his wrist. "Ready for the alchemy match with our dearest boss, Maya?"

Al gave me a thumbs up and indicated his approval, but I just laughed nervously. "Guys, I'm so tired that I'm tired of being tired. Can't we kick his butt another day?"

The brothers gave me shocked looks at first, but noticed my standing position with my shoulders slumped.

"Why didn't we go to Xenotime to look for the stone anyway?" I asked and leaned against my suitcase.

"We have to take care of something first, that's all" Ed said and laughed nervously. I raised my eyebrows at him suspiciously. When he whistled and pretended he didn't notice me, I looked at Al for help. "Winry's coming over" Al said.

I smiled at Ed's blushing face and put my arm around his shoulder. "So, my little brother, you have a date, huh?"

"It's not a date! And watch your tongue. I'm not short, you're just taller than me!"

I giggled as the officer that was standing in the front came to us. "Elric brothers, Ms. Starling, good to see you again." I smiled at him as I noticed that he was the same officer who had dropped me to Mustang's new home at East before. He was nice, but too obedient in my opinion. He had just taken me to Mustang's new house before even asking me when that boss of ours had ordered him to.

"What do you want?" Ed asked.

"Damon reporting, Sir! Colonel Mustang has instructed me to give you your next orders. You and Mr. Alphonse Elric are to remain in Central and a new mission will be mailed to you." He then looked at me. "I'm supposed to take you to East City, Ma'am."

I frowned and lifted the cat up into my arms to pet it. "Why? I'll go with the brothers. I've got nothing to do in East." Beside me, the Elric brothers were being led to a black car by three other officers.

Damon put his hand on the chest and bowed. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. Colonel Mustang has specifically said to take you to the East."

"Just because he's my boss doesn't mean that he can control my every action! I'm staying in Central!" I said and struggled to carry my suitcase towards the car in which the brothers were sitting in, only to find it taking off. I would've run after it if I had the energy. _Seriously? Doesn't being fat mean having more energy? Doesn't it mean having more carbs inside you and sh*t?_

 _Man, what's wrong with me? Tiredness is messing with my brain._ "I cannot allow you to stay here, please understand Ma'am. I'm only carrying out my orders." Damon said as he came to stand beside me. To my relief, he took my suitcase and gestured to follow him to another black car. _Must admit, the Military's got taste in cars._ As Damon was trying to fit the huge suitcase in the back trunk of the car, I saw a grey taxi come to the railway station to drop a customer. Making sure that Damon wasn't watching me, I strode to the taxi, with the cat still in my arms. I quickly got inside it and said to the driver, "Please take me to Central. Hurry up!"

The driver nodded and I watched as the taxi went towards another road. Behind me, I saw Damon still struggling to get the suitcase into the car, oblivious to where I was. _Thank God I couldn't decide on an outfit and packet most of my clothes and shoes._

* * *

o0❤0o

My body jerked and hit the car seat in front of me as the taxi made an abrupt stop. "Sorry Ma'am. Are you alright?" the driver asked and turned around to face me.

"Yes, but why did we stop?" We were already inside Central now and very close to a community that lent apartments on lease to people, so I saw no point in stopping here.

"The Military is stopping all cars and conducting a search Ma'am" he said. I gulped and frowned. I had been sleeping most of the ride so I didn't know what was going on. Noticing my confused look, the driver said, "They're searching for the Water Alchemist or something. They're saying that she was kidnapped a few hours ago." _Kidnapped? I'm not a kid, I'm a mature adult. So I get to do whatever I want with my life!_

I carefully looked at the front and saw many cars in front of us. _They're so many cars on the same road that I can make a run._ I asked the driver for a water bottle and pretended to drink water with it. I told him that I needed to stretch my legs and got out of the car, the cat following behind me. When the driver was busy looking in the front, I went to the back of the car. I pretended to drop my bracelet and knelt down beside the car tire. Making sure the driver wasn't seeing this, I put the water bottle in the exhaust and emissions pipe of the car. _I can't use water alchemy, but I can use water. I'm a chemist, after all._

I whistled and got back on my seat. The car in front of us moved a little, so the driver tried to start his car to move it too. The taxi made a growling sound and stopped. The taxi driver tried twisting the key several times, but the taxi couldn't move. "Wait right here, Ma'am. I need to check the taxi." he said and went to check the front of the car.

When I was sure no one was noticing, I got out of the taxi quickly and ran inside an alley that was nearby. _Mission was a success!_

"Hey, you! What's wrong with your car?!" I heard a familiar voice call out.

"I-I don't know, Sir" I heard the driver reply, his voice shaking.

I went farther into the alley when I heard footsteps and soon saw many officers, including Damon, standing beside the taxi that I was just in.

"Do you have anyone else with you?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Sir. I'm dropping a young woman to Central."

Damon went to the passenger seat to check it and I tensed up. "There's no one here!" Damon yelled.

When Damon accused him of lying, the taxi driver came to the passenger seat and swore someone was sitting there a while ago. "Meow~" I heard a cat and to my horror I saw my white car purr beside Damon. _I left the cat right there! How can I be so careless?!_

I tensed as Damon inspected the cat seriously for a while. He then pet the cat and pushed it to make it move. The innocent cat ran and headed towards the alley that I was in. Because of the cloudy afternoon, the alley was dark and on one could see me. But since I knew they would come here any minute, I picked up the cat and started heading deeper into the alley to get to a different street. _I can just call the headquarters and tell them I'm okay. But then they would force me to go to the East and stay in_ _ **his**_ _house. I'll call after I rent a house in Central. And besides I don't have a phone with me._

I ran into different alleys quickly, all the while hearing the footsteps behind me. I panicked as my cat got out of my arms, only to chase after a mouse that was hiding in the corner of another alley. Not wanting to lose the cat, I chased after it, but lost it as it ran away further. I heard the footsteps coming closer and I was about to run, but I realized that I had reached a dead end.

Just when I thought Damon and the other officers will eventually find me, a bright red light appeared on the wall behind me. I stared at it as I saw a hand with a strange black tattoo emerge from the wall. I gasped as the hand grabbed and pulled me. In a blink of my eye, I was no longer standing the same alley. Instead, I was standing in a wider, more darker alley, with a man's hand on my right wrist. His other hand was wrapped around my waist and his white hair was brushing my forehead as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry, you're safe now" he said in a deep voice.

I pulled back and looked into his crimson eyes. My eyes drifted from his unusual eyes to his white hair, to the enormous scar on his face, to the black tattoo on his hand. _The man who was attacking officers before? Whom I had attacked by using water alchemy for the first time?_

 _Safe you say? Safe my a*s!_

* * *

 **Spoiler Alert (Read only if you want to!) :**

I might do a love triangle for some chapters (but the main focus will still be on Roy X Maya) or maybe a love square? ;)


	18. Ishvalan

**Happy Independence Day!**

 **I celebrated it on July 2nd (our town had this event on that day, don't ask why I don't know) and we went to this concert and watched fireworks while eating ice cream!**

 **I'm gonna watch fireworks again on the 4th!**

 **May the eagle be with you! *salutes***

* * *

 **Btw, sorry for the crappy last chapter! I kinda had a writer's block so thank ya for being patient with me :)**

 **I have a sorta Maya X Scar scene in this chapter (don't hate me!) and also a Winry X Ed scene. Mustang comes in this chapter, but his ship with Maya will be more intense in the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter XVIII - Ishvalan**

"Aren't you the one who killed an officer before?" I spat at the man and tried to pull my hand away. His grip on my hand was strong however; he tightened his hand on my wrist the more I tried to free myself.

I prepared to kick him but my reflexes were too slow because of my lack of energy and instead his hand that was on my waist gripped my thigh and he pushed me back.

"Let me go!" I yelled and pushed his chest with all my might, only to have him push closer. My back hit the wall of the alley. As I continued to struggle, he pinned both of my arms above my head with one of his hands and gripped my chin with the other. His red orbs stared into my blue ones as he spoke again. "Listen to me, I'm a friend. Not a foe."

I moved my head sideways harshly. "How can I believe you? You're a murderer!"

"And so is the military!" he yelled back. I turned my eyes to him, confused.

I was about to question him, but I heard a cat's voice to my left. I tried to see past the man's shoulder because he was way too tall and was standing very close to me. I saw my white cat standing in the center, looking frightened. Many children were surrounding it and one kid was hitting it with a stick.

The scarred man's eyes were examining me curiously, staring mostly at my eyes and hair. Although he had white hair, he looked no more than thirty years old. His dark skin and white hair looked as if they were hereditary traits of his race.

When he saw me looking at the cat, he turned around, but his hand still held on to my wrist. He suddenly moved towards the children, dragging me with him in the process. When he got next to the kids, a bright red light was emitted from his hand that wasn't holding me and part of a roof came clashing to the ground from above. I watched as the children screamed and moved back from the cat. The cat then went near them and scratched them. As the children were helpless, I moved towards the cat and freed it from the kids even though the man's hand was still gripping mine.

When all of them ran away, the man said, "Why did you stop the cat? You should have let the cat scratch them."

I turned and stared at him, "Excuse me? They're children!"

"So what? The cat needed to get justice for what they did to it."

I glared at the man and grimaced. _What kind of sadistic idiot did I meet this time? As if that Mustang wasn't enough._ "Do you even know what children are? They're innocent! They don't know if what they're actually doing is wrong or not!"

The man pulled my hand, forcing me to jerk towards his body and face him. His breath hit my lips and I shivered, being reminded of the time Mustang was this close to me. "Even if they don't know what they're doing is wrong, they must still be punished for it. Just like the military!" _Now what kind of sh*t did the military cook up for this guy?_

"What do you mean?" The man didn't respond and instead went towards the cat. He picked it up and handed it to me after letting go of my hand. I signed and pet the cat as it snuggled close to my neck. "What's the animal's name?" he asked.

"I'm not telling!" I said and turned by back to him.

"I was asking the cat" he came close and whispered in my ear. I was reminded of the time Mustang had whispered into my ear just before kissing me. I brushed off the thought and glared at the man before me. "Just kidding, I know your name's Maya" he said.

"Wait a minute! How do you know?!"

"What's the cat's name?" he asked, choosing to ignore my question.

"It doesn't have a name! Why do you care anyway?"

He leaned back against the wall of the alley, with his arms folded. "Then we can call the cat Jestin, which means Justice." He came closer and was about to land his hand on my chest when I stepped back. "Pervert!"

"I was just petting the cat" he said, "I'm Scar by the way." He came in closer and grabbed my wrist again. "Let's go!"

"No!" I yelled and tried to resist again.

"I wasn't asking for your permission" Scar said and started dragging me into a different street in front of us. As I didn't have the stamina to fight back, I silently followed behind him for several minutes. _I can't let this guy control me! I'm not calling the cat Jestin. I'll call it Jes for short._

Seeing it was the best time, I tried to get some information out of him. "Why're you against the military anyway?"

Scar didn't respond and instead quickened his pace, forcing me to grow more tired. "Did you get into a fight with your ex-girlfriend who's in the military or something? And so you're killing all officers?" I said, the tiredness messing with my brain.

Scar suddenly stopped and looked at me as my chin brushed his chest. I was reminded of the time Mustang was this close to me, when he had bandaged my injured arm. I looked at my wrist that Scar was holding, which was probably bruised by now. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm Ishvalan."

 _He's Ishvalan! He's probably mad because the military killed so many people in the Ishvalan War! But the military were forced to attack because the Ishvalans attacked first! That's why poor Roy feels so bad for his actions!_

I shivered as I heard the clouds thundering above me. The rain started pouring out of nowhere, so heavy that I wasn't able to see a few feet in front of me. Scar continued to walk however; he dragged me with him. "Can't we stay somewhere or get an umbrella?" I asked.

"Let the world hide behind an umbrella. I'll walk in the rain." he said.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **No One's POV**

A young blonde girl stood in front of the park gate, looking at her watch. She hung her head low and pouted, disappointed for making her wait this long. Tiny droplets sprinkled on the ground below her and soon a huge waterfall started to pour from the sky. Just when she was about to hide under a tree to seek shelter, an umbrella appeared on top of her head.

"You're late again, Ed." she simply stated, knowing exactly who it was.

"Sorry, Win," the young man laughed nervously, "You know I have motion sickness."

Of course, how can the girl who has spent most of her childhood with the young alchemist forget his motion sickness? Every time they went somewhere, Ed would go on and on about how bad the transportation was until he eventually vomited, got angry, or gave a two-hour lecture about his height to a complete stranger.

Winry remembered the first time they had taken a field trip from school to a theme park. They were riding on a school bus and she was sitting right next to him, Al sitting behind them with one of his friends.

" _People say that when a boy loves a girl, he's her boyfriend"_ the six-year-old Winry had said to Ed, " _Do you love me, Ed?"_

The blonde boy with hair reaching up to shoulders had smiled and said, " _We're best friends, so I love you!"_

Winry had asked, trying to hide her blush, " _Will you be my boyfriend then?!"_

Before the boy could respond, his face had turned pale just as immediately as he had went near the window and poured out everything that he had eaten for lunch that day. Winry had started to cry, thinking that Ed had threw up because of what she had asked him. Al had tried to tell her that's not the case, but she had continued to cry.

Ed had put an arm around Winry's shoulder, trying to console her, but failed. In the end, he had started to cry too.

" _Why are you crying?"_ she had asked him.

" _Because my girlfriend's crying!"_ Ed had replied, while sobbing.

Winry came back from her memory and stared at the fifteen-year-old male in front of her. She muttered a "It's okay" and they walked together, while their hands met on the umbrella holder that they shared.

"Where're we going?" the fifteen-year-old girl asked and snuggled closer to her friend, trying to seek warmth because the rain around them was chilly.

"I will give you my time. And in return, will you give me your time today? It's equivalent exchange!"

The girl drew her eyebrows together and frowned, "What?"

The young man turned his face sideways, in an attempt to hide the blush on his face, "Will you go on a date with me?"

Winry jumped from excitement and wove her hand into his, "Of course my sweet little alchemist!"

Ed took Winry by her wrist and pulled her close to him, "Little? I might be short, but I can still do this to you."

"Do what?" she said and stared into his eyes. Ed stared back and finally brought his face close to hers and they shared a blissful kiss.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

We stopped in the rain for a few minutes, to wait for the vehicles to pass by on the road in front of us. There were way too many cars and people, so I decided to pass my time instead of waiting awkwardly near Scar. He didn't protest as I moved my hand away from him and went near a group of kids who were dressed in a school uniform with the cat still in my arms. They were playing in a mud puddle so I joined them. I jumped in and out of the puddle and laughed with the kids. I was about to leave, but a little boy came next to me and said, "Let's play more Auntie!"

I laughed and joined them in the game before telling the kid not to call me Auntie and instead call me sister. I held hands with the kids and we circled together, all the while singing rhymes like 'Rain, Rain, go Away.' All the while, I felt Scar staring at with curiosity and something else in his eyes that I couldn't quite make out.

The vehicles were moving, so Scar came to stand by my side. Before he could speak to me, the kids dragged him into the game. "You and Auntie play as a team! You both are supposed to hold hands and circle together!" Scar eventually gave in when the kids forced him, to my surprize. _So this guy has a soft spot afterall? He just doesn't like injustice...Mustang has many soft spots despite being cold sometimes too. But he values principles and order more than justice. That's why he didn't protest when the military ordered him to kill innocent people..._

As it was just a game, I grabbed Scar's hand and we both circled together. As he spun me around faster and the cool raindrops landed on my cheeks from the sky, Scar laughed along with me. He looked innocent for the first time; the hatred and ferocity in his eyes being long gone.

I didn't care that people were staring at us and neither did Scar. _Maybe because as he said, he doesn't hide behind an umbrella like everyone else._ I didn't mind this time that Scar's hand landed on my lower back and we swayed and danced in the rain. All too soon, I slipped from the wet ground and fell down, pulling Scar with me. His eyes bore into mine as he landed on top of me, but his hands held on to the ground beside me.

He held in that position for a while, staring into my blue eyes. I would have told him to get up, but the strange tattoo on his hand caught my eye as he inspected me closely. The top part of his hand was embedded with a spiral snake-like design which connected with three arrows. The lower part of his arm had three semicircles, with the middle one containing the word 'terra' in capital letters.

I felt uncomfortable being stared that way so I asked him, "What's with the tattoo on your hand? It looks similar to a transmutation circle, but not quite."

Scar came out from his stare, cleared his throat, and got up. I felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach as I was reminded of the time Mustang had accidently fallen on top of me. _The time when my hair clip was stuck in his hair. I had stared into his black eyes as his breath hit my cheeks. His husky sent, the feel of my body under his..._

Embarrassed from that thought, I looked at my feet. When I sensed Scar still staring at me, I said, "Sorry, was I too childish?"

"No," he said, "No, not at all." I raised my eyebrows, but nodded.

Scar let his red eyes examin me again, making me more uncomfortable. _What's up with this dude? Mustang's stare was so much better. At least it sent positive vibes through me... Wait what?_

Scar grabbed me, along with Jes, which was curling beside my leg. We took off again, strolling through random streets to God knows where.

Silence followed us again, but Scar broke it this time. "Maya, do you know why you're able to use water alchemy?"

"Huh?" I frowned, not sure what he was saying, "What do you mean?"

He ignored me again and I signed loudly, annoyed by his attitude. _I'm sorry I can't read your bloody mind!_

"There was a man among my people once," Scar said after a while, "He was accused of heresy and was driven away from Ishval."

"Why was he accused of heresy?" I asked, curiosity taking over me.

"He used water alchemy" Scar said and slowed his pace, just enough to examin my rection. "Alchemy is considered against God's rules among us Ishvalans."

I frowned, "But didn't you use alchemy when you saved me from the officers earlier?"

"But you still didn't thank me for it" Scar said, changing the topic.

I rolled my eyes, "Continue with the story already!"

"Rumors had it that a woman had taught him alchemy. Some even said that she was hundreds of years old and her soul changed bodies time to time." _What kind of crappy horror story is this guy telling? Obviously the rumors were false!_

"When I was nine years old, I heard that they had a daughter," he continued, "and she was born from the element water, thus being able to do water alchemy. Legend says that she was one of the important parts of creating a stone that can do the impossible. But one day, the baby girl disappeared and is not seen again until this day."

My frown deepened and I snuggled the cat closer. "This doesn't make any sense to me. Why're you telling me all this? And why don't you answer the questions that I've already asked you like a billion times and why-"

Scar suddenly stopped walking and placed his index finger on my lips. He stared at me for a while and his hands cupped both my shoulders. "I have to go now." he said. I was about to protest, but he came closer and whispered in my ear, "Be careful who you trust. The ones closest to you might be the ones that end up hurting you."

With that, his hands left my shoulders and he walked away from me. I tried to follow him, but the rain poured more heavily and I saw his figure disappear.

Not sure what to do, I turned back, but bumped into someone's back. "I'm sorry!" I said, only to look at someone in a blue military uniform. He had brown hair and eyes of the same color that were surrounded by a pair of glasses.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **No One's POV**

Winry smiled as she entered the warm restaurant with her date. They sat on a table near the window and Ed placed his umbrella to the side. Winry still kept the jacket that Ed had given her however; she was not cold anymore, but the jacket smelled so much like her boyfriend that she wanted to keep it on longer. Ed smirked, noticing how Winry kept a firm hold on the jacket.

They both ordered noodles, since it was Ed's favorite. While they waited, Winry scolded Ed and told him to be more careful with his mechanical arm or else he'll damage it. The boy pretended to be annoyed, but agreed, secretly pleased that his girlfriend cared about him very much.

As the food came and they eat silently for a while, Ed's eyebrows drew together into a frown. Noticing this, Winry placed her hand on his and gave him a questioned look.

"Just worried about Maya." he said.

"I know you're worried about her meeting Colonel Mustang again, Ed. But you have to give them a chance to solve their differences." Winry was informed by Ed about Maya's complicated relationship with the military leader, which made her worry about her friend, who was also like her sister.

"She has other dangers too." Ed said. Confused, the blonde girl asked him about the details.

"Long time ago, when I took the military exam, I accidently bumped into a man with a scar on his head and a strange tattoo on his hand."

"When we bumped, some photographs fell from his pocket," Ed continued, "One was a photo of Maya, with her face being circled using a red marker. The other photo was of Mustang and a red X mark was placed on top of him. I don't know what that means, but the man definitely does not favor them."

"Does Maya know about this?" Winry asked.

"No. I was way too confused at that time from everything that was happening around me, with Tucker, then finding the philosopher's stone, and what not, that I forgot all about it. But when I remembered, Maya seemed to be in a fragile state because of that bastard Mustang, so I didn't want to make her more worried."

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Mustang's POV**

I had seen people lose their loved ones before. Being part of the military makes you get used to these situations, making you more stronger and more able to handle the circumstances carefully. I had seen men, women, and even newborn children getting killed, some by the very fire that I had created using alchemy. In all those events, I had stood calm and firm to the ground. _Then what's happening with me now? Why can't I handle Maya's kidnapping calmly?_

"Sir! The gang is too dangerous, we'll not be able to make it!" Lieutenant Havoc said.

"Right. So you guys stay right here. I'm going on my own." I replied.

Lieutenant Havoc walked up to me and argued.

"Wait right here. This is an order!" I yelled back, "If the gang kidnapped Maya, I need to rescue her."

"But you're life will be in danger, Sir!" the man argued again.

"I'll give up my life if it means saving her!" I yelled and strode into the depths of the alley.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

"Mr. Hughes?" I said.

"Maya! What're you doing here? Everyone's searching for you!" he said. I didn't know how to respond so I bit my lips and stared at the ground.

"Never mind that! You're all drenched and shivering!" Mr. Hughes said, "Questions can be answered later. Come to my house and rest first."

Before I had the chance to protest, he dragged me with him. "My wife makes the best warm tea in the world, you know. You'll be better after taking just one sip!"

* * *

 **Please tell me if you liked the Ed X Winry ship or if I should just focus on Roy and Maya!**


	19. Mr Irresistible

**Me: So Maya, who's going to be your man? Scar or Roy?**

 **Maya: *intense glaring* Really? How about I ask you this - Trump or Hillary?**

 **Me: *sweats* We're both doomed.**

 **Maya: *nods* Yep.**

 **(Please note - this was just a joke, I wasn't telling my political affiliation)**

* * *

 **OMG, I just realized I forgot to give a shout out to ElysiumPhoenix for the awesome review! So I'm telling you now - thank you! A huge truck load of ice cream and cakes from me! Glad to hear you like the story! :)**

 **Have fun reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter XIX - Mr. Irresistible**

 _This is life!_ I sipped my rose tea and watched the raindrops as some of them drove past the window and some smashed against it. My hair was still wet from the rain, but I was lying on the soft, puffy bed while Jes was curled up near the lamp.

" _Everyone was so worried about you, Maya,"_ Mr. Hughes had said, " _Especially Roy."_ My eyes had widened at this, surprise crossing my mind at first, then disbelief.

" _I've never seen him this panicked before. Not even during the wars."_ As I had remained silent, Mr. Hughes had continued, " _Roy and I have been buddies for a long time. And believe me, I've never seen him care for anyone this much."_

I kept the tea cup aside and pulled the blanket closer to my neck. _If he really cares about me that much, then why did he go out with the restaurant girl?_

"Where is she?! I need to see her!" I heard someone's panicked, but familiar voice coming from outside the room.

"Listen, let her rest now," someone else said, "you'll make matters worse when you're stressed out. Give her some time."

"Time? I haven't seen her for weeks! And today I heard she was kidnapped!" _Is that Roy's voice?!_

I heard footsteps, gradually getting louder and finally the door of my room burst open. I closed my eyes shut quickly, pretending to be asleep. His footsteps clicked on the wooden floor and I felt his figure looming over my sleeping form. I felt the mattress sink beside me and a hand suddenly brushed my blue and black hair. My heart beat faster at his touch and I felt goosebumps forming all over me. "I know you're not asleep, Maya!" Roy yelled.

I shivered involuntarily at his loud voice, but my eyes remained shut. "Okay, so this is how it's going to be! You're going to keep ignoring me!" When I didn't respond, he said, "Fair enough."

I heard footsteps moving away from me, followed by the closing of a door. I relaxed, but kept my eyes shut.

In a second, I felt a sharp pain on my left ear and I flipped my eyes open after screaming. In front of my bed, Roy was standing and glaring at me. His eyes were narrowed and bore into mine with intensity, as if he could stare into my very soul. But what struck me the most was that he looked completely different from his normal self. His black hair, which is normally combed neatly, was messy and disheveled, with some strands that fell on his forehead and some that went up in spikes. His white shirt was wrinkled, with one sleeve that was buttoned up and one that hung clumsily at his wrist. His sleek tie was half undone and threatened to fall on the floor. Even though he looked completely unorderly, he looked hot. His messy hair made my heart beat escalate. The white shirt revealed his body structure in the right places and his tie made me want to pull it off. Altogether, he was a hot mess.

"Is-Is this how you wake someone up?" I yelled as his black eyes continued to stare at me angrily, "By biting their ear?"

I gulped as he yanked his tie out and put his knees on the bed. I drew back the closer he came, but my back eventually hit the wall. I tried to turn sideways and move away, but both of his hands held on to the wall to the either side of me. His face hung low and he looked at the blanket that was covering me. "Hughes said you weren't kidnapped. Why did you run away?" Roy said, his voice barely audible.

I didn't respond since he same closer and pulled away the blanket that was covering me. He came even closer and closed all the distance between us. His chest was pressed firmly against mine and one of his knee was between my legs. His breath hit my cheeks, causing strange feelings to arise inside of me. Roy pressed more forward and I bit my lip when a moan threatened to escape at the movement of his body against mine. Roy suddenly banged his hand on the wall and yelled, "Why did you run away from me damn it?!" His black eyes then stared into my blue ones, "Do you really hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you Roy!" the words came out of my mouth before I even knew.

"You know how much I searched for you? In Silver Street, Baker Street, Park Street! But you weren't there!" He cupped my cheeks harshly, but caressed them soon after, "What would I do if something were to happen to you?!"

I felt my chest grow heavy and my throat became dry. _I have never seen this much grief in his eyes._ I wanted to hold Roy close, place his head on my chest as I kiss his forehead. But instead, I reached out my hand and grabbed his palm in mine. We sat there silently for a while, staring into each other's eyes. "But you were the one who kicked me out of your room. You were the one who weren't talking to me" I said softly. _And you were the one who went on a date with some magazine mean girl._

His plump lips opened to say something, but he stopped as someone knocked on the door. "Dinner is ready! Come soon you two!" Mr. Hughes called from outside the door, "My wife makes the best food so don't you miss that!"

"We're coming." Roy said. I heard the footsteps fade away outside the door, but I didn't move.

Roy's hand brushed my wet hair and he tucked it behind my ear. "Eat something. You look so weak from the last time I saw you." I wanted to argue with him, but it was true that I had grown weak without Roy's delicious cooking to fill my belly. And besides, he looked so weak himself. _With that look on his face, he probably hasn't eaten anything since hours._

Roy got up from the bed and headed towards the door. I silently followed behind, my heart heavy with guilt. _I made him starve. If only I had agreed with Damon and hadn't run away..._

* * *

o0❤0o

I gulped down the mouth-watering sushi before me and went for seconds. _Must admit, Mr. Hughes' wife is an amazing cook._

We were all sitting at the brown dinner table, Roy and I sitting next to each other. Jes was enjoying its sushi near my chair and scratching its ear in-between the chewing. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes were sitting to the opposite of us, with their daughter Elicia to the side of the table. The two-year-old girl was staring at me and smiling, so I made funny faces at her. She giggled and made some at me. While we were busy in our game, I saw Roy staring at me, his eyes inspecting my every move. My heart jumped, but I was actually revealed, glad to have Scar's stare replaced with Roy's.

After we were done with our sushi, Mrs. Hughes brought out a huge chocolate cake which was layered with strawberries. "Holy cow!" I yelled loudly as I saw the cake and everyone burst into laughter at my reaction. I smiled back as I saw a genuine smile appear on Roy's face. _His smile. His beautiful smile. Please smile one more time!_

Roy noticed me staring at him and he stared back at me. I averted my eyes quickly because I was afraid I might die from a heart attack if I continue to stare into those beautiful black orbs of his. I digged into the chocolate cake in front of me and muttered a "Hmm" at the sweetness of the cake after closing my eyes. Everyone around me laughed once again and I looked down, trying to hide my red face. _The cake is really tasty, okay?_

"Told you my wife makes the best cake!" Mr. Hughes said.

I felt a napkin brush against my chin and saw Roy wiping something with his napkin. "There was chocolate on your chin" he said and stared into my eyes. I wanted to avert my eyes, but I couldn't. His eyes were gleaming black forests and I wanted to be lost in them. His gaze captivated me and I sat there, gazing at his eyes and lips. I heard someone clear their throat and saw Mr. and Mrs. Hughes looking at us, with a smile on their faces. Mr. Hughes started telling us about his love story and how he first met his wife, all the while showing pictures that he had.

I was hearing the story with interest, but I suddenly felt something glide against my lower leg, near my ankle. I pretended to drop my fork and looked at the thing bothering me, only to find Roy's leg brushing against mine. My face was flushing and I tried to move my leg as far as possible from his. _The hell's wrong with this guy? Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are watching us for God's sake!_

I succeeded in pushing my leg away from his and let out a satisfied smirk. Just when I thought I was safe, a hand brushed on my thigh. _Curse my goat! Why did I have to wear a dress today?_

I gasped loudly as Roy's hand slowly caressed and drew circles on my thigh. _Stop it idiot!_ Mr. Hughes looked at me and asked, "Is something wrong?"

I felt Roy's fingers making strange circles on my lap and I started to say random things to distract my mind. "It's really rainy today isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's the heaviest it has ever been!" Mrs. Hughes said. I realized that Roy was writing something on my leg. He drew a 'G' and then an 'O' and caressed my leg again, causing me to gasp yet another time.

Mr. Hughes looked at me with a worried look, but said, "Did you have a chance to talk with Roy? Are you happy that he's here?" Roy drew more letters on my thigh, which kinda worded out to be 'ROOM.'

He gripped my thigh and pinched it soon after, making me blurt out the first thing that came into my mind to avoid gasping again. I was thinking about Mr. Hughes' question and about the weather at the same time, so I said, "It's raining so much outside that I became wet. Like really wet. And I'm so happy Roy's here!"

Mrs. Hughes suddenly giggled and gave me winks. Mr. Hughes also smiled and looked at his wife. Roy just signed and held his hand on his forehead, indicating his annoyed look. _OMG! It's not my fault that they're looking at double meaning of things!_

Roy cleared his throat and got up from the table. "Please excuse me and Maya. We have to wake up early tomorrow so we'll be heading to bed now." _Now why do_ _ **I**_ _have to wake up early?_

Before I could protest, Roy dragged me along with him. Before I went, Mrs. Hughes smiled at me and said, "Have fun!"

* * *

o0❤0o

I looked at the white button-down shirt in front of me and the huge black pant. My luggage had been transported to the East, to Roy's house already, and so had all my clothes with it. Instead of sleeping in the uncomfortable dress that I was wearing, Roy had suggested to wear his clothes. He apparently stayed at Mr. Hughes' house several times, so he kept some spare clothes of his there. _Too bad all of his clothes are of the same color and same material!_

Since the black pant was too big for me, I decided to wear just the shirt. I buttoned most of the shirt, but left the top buttons open, revealing part of my chest as it was too hot in his enormous shirt. I was about to get into bed, but the door of the room opened, and Roy entered and closed the door behind him.

"What're you doing here?!" I yelled and tried to cover my chest with my hands.

Roy scanned me from head to toe and headed towards the bed, "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to sleep."

"That's not what I meant! Why're you sleeping in my room?"

He stared at me as he removed his shirt and his belt. "This is my room whenever I stay at Maes' house."

I gazed at his muscles and rows of abs. "But I need my own room! I can't sleep with you!"

"Maes and his wife are sleeping right now so you've to wait until the morning to ask for a different room," Roy said calmly, "Sleep outside, in the bushes till then."

He looked at me, waiting for me to sleep. I reluctantly got to the bed and sat on it. Embarrassed, I stared at my hands that were on my lap. "I feel uncomfortable in this."

Roy sighed loudly and walked towards me. His knees brushed against my leg as he got on the bed and I drew back. My stomach twisted and I leaned my back on the bed as his chest came closer to mine. My heartbeat was skyrocketing as my breath shook. One of Roy's leg was in-between mine and his hands landed on the either side of my body. He stared into my eyes before his face moved closer to mine. My chest pounded harder and I parted my lips as his breath hit my cheeks, chin, and finally my lips. I expected his lips to smash against mine and I closed my eyes, but the impact never came.

I opened my eyes again to feel his breath on my neck this time. I arched my back, expecting him to bite and suck on that spot, but he never did. His breath hit the part of my chest that was exposed, torturing me in every aspect. I screamed inside my head when he didn't do anything, but just held his face very close to my chest. Roy lifted his head up and got away from me. As I frowned, he picked up my legs that were dangling to the side and placed them on the bed.

"There, you're in bed now. Now do I need to make you fall asleep too?" he said and smirked.

My cheeks flushed and I glared at him. _That jerk! He made all those feeling come inside me just to get me in bed?_

Roy ignored me completely, slept next to me, and turned his back towards me. _Why does he have an affect on me, damn it?_ I closed my eyes and hoped tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as today.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **No One's POV**

"Brother, is this the right thing to do?" Al asked as they walked in the dark.

"Shut up, Al!" Ed replied as quietly as possible, annoyed by his brother asking the same question again.

Ed held his flashlight in the front and saw another row of bookshelves. They had been in the State Library for hours now, but still couldn't find anything about the philosopher's stone. Ed had tried to search for a criminal record of the man with a scar that he had bumped into, but couldn't find it. If not the philosopher's stone, the brothers were determined to find something about the man and his motives regarding Maya and Mustang.

Al was walking around a pile of books, but fell down as a book caught below his feet. Ed gasped and strode near Al to make sure he's okay. The elder brother then sat silently to make sure no one heard the falling sound. Al picked up the book below his feet that was red and was embroidered with golden vines. He brushed off the dust that was covering it and looked inside. "Brother!" Al exclaimed, "It says 'Philosopher's Stone'!"

Before Ed could reply, someone yelled "Who's there?!" and an officer burst into the library. The brothers ran the opposite direction to get to the back door and carried the book with them.

"Brother, there're two ways to create the philosopher's stone" Al read from the book, "One way has something to do with...humans lives."

Al had to run quickly between the rows of bookshelves before he could he read more. "Another way is... 'Alchemists of the main elements' it says... and something about sacrifice."

The brothers reached the back door, but another officer came in from there. They were surrounded by both the officers now and one of them told them to drop everything down and raise their hands. Al did as he was told and put the book down. "You'll be taken to jail, now!" one of them yelled.

"I don't think so, officer" Ed said and smirked, "We win this time!"

Ed brought his hands together and used alchemy to create a metal door where the wall of the library was. The brothers ran past the officer and out the door. As the officers lost sight of the brothers, Al exclaimed, "But we left the book right there!"

 **Scar's POV**

 _What had happened to me?_ I was sitting on a bench and a street light was shining dimly above me in the cold night. _Why had I danced with her in the rain?_

Even though I knew my only motive was to warn her and tell her the truth, something about me had changed when I met her. _Her eyes that shimmer like the pleasant seas, her hair that glide softly like waves, her flawless skin that shines like the sand._

"But we left the book right there!" someone's voice brought me back from my thought.

"Al, come one, man!" someone else said, "It had important stuff about the philosopher's stone!"

I got up and slowly made my way towards the source. A short blonde boy was standing in the middle of the street and panting heavily while a person in an armor stood next to him, with his hands on his hips. _The Elric brothers!_

"We should go back, brother" the armor one said.

"The officers will catch us now if we go again. I don't want that Goddamn Mustang to yell at me again!"

"Then we should go tomorrow."

"No, I can't. That bastard boss gave me another useless mission so I gotta dig in it tomorrow. We might find the philosopher's stone in Xenotime anyway." _Philosopher's stone?_

 _As long as I'm alive, I won't let another military puppet make that killing machine! I'll destroy those who try to get the philosopher's stone._

"Yeah, Maya will be there with us too then" the armor one said. _Maya, you don't know what you're getting into. I won't let you go through this mess._

I was so lost in my thought that I didn't see when the brothers vanished from my sight. _Another time, Elrics. Guess you have a few more days to live._

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

It felt like I was in a world war with the skinny jeans. I had taken a shower a while back and was trying to pull up the jeans that stuck to my skin like glue. Mrs. Hughes had given me her jeans that fit her before pregnancy. I finally pulled up the jeans and topped it with another one of Roy's plain old white shirts. I pulled open the bottom buttons and tied a knot since the shirt was too big for me. The outfit was simple, but very comfy. _Man, I didn't know men's clothes can be this comfy. I'm gonna shop in the men's department from now!_

I was about to head out of the room when Roy came out of the attached bathroom. His bluff body was shimmering and his black hair was still wet from the tiny droplets dangling on it. The lower part of his body was covered with a towel, but the rest was exposed. I blushed and ran towards the door, avoiding eye contact.

"Maya," Roy called before I could leave, "We're going shopping this morning. Damon, my subordinate, is getting the car."

"What? Why do I need to come?"

"You're the one who need the clothes, darling," he said as he put on a white shirt similar to the one I was wearing and started to button it up, "We've to stay in Central a few more days to investigate a case before going to East City. So you need clothes."

Roy scanned me and smirked, "Unless you want to keep wearing my clothes..."

I blushed and turned away quickly, "No, thank you! I can go shopping on my own!"

"I'm afraid I can't let that happen," his face turned serious, "You see, someone's been attacking military officers lately." _Is he talking about Scar?!_

"Fine!" I said, "But that doesn't mean you can call me darling!"

Before I closed the door of the room and exited I told him, "And this does **not** mean that I forgot how you treated me before!" _And how you treated Ms. Long Legs restaurant girl._

* * *

 **So I'm thinking of shipping someone with Al too. Is there someone in FMA that I can ship him with? (except Winry b/c she's already with Ed) If not, I'll just create an OC for him. Let me know what you think!**


	20. Fire and Water

**So this chapter has a little lime~**

 **Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

" _You never just stop loving someone. Either you always will or you never did in the first place."_

o0❤0o

 **Chapter XX - Fire and Water**

I gave Damon an apologetic smile as I walked past him and entered the car. To my relief, he smiled back and I took it that I was forgiven for ditching him earlier. Roy followed me into the back seat and we took off while Damon sat in the front and drove the car.

I ignored Roy throughout the ride and made sure he got my point that I was still upset with him. All along the drive I felt Roy's eyes staring at his shirt that I was wearing. When we reached the mall, Damon opened the door for us and we got out. Roy's hand held mine immediately after and I tried to snatch it away, but his glare bore into my eyes and he said that it's for safety. _The only person I need safety from is you!_

Inside the mall, I saw my favorite brand and was about to go there, but Roy dragged me to a different store. "These types of clothes suit you more" he said and pointed to outfits that were very fancy for my taste. Most of them were dresses made of lace, were bodycons, or were high slits that exposed your skin way too much. They were pretty though, so I decided to check them out. I decided on three dresses, a pair of jeans, and two blouses at last. Roy took the blue polka-dot dress that I was holding in my hand and replaced it with a white bodycon dress. "Do you always pick polka-dots?" he said and I blushed, "Try this on."

I argued for a while, but agreed with him at the end when he was about to yell what type of my clothing had a polka dot on it in public. I went to the fitting room and was surprised to see that the dress fit me well. It hugged my curves perfectly and gave me an innocent look as it exposed my collarbones in a off-shoulder neckline. "Are you done?" he asked when I was taking off the dress and wearing my skinny jeans again.

"Yes, I'm coming."

"Come out in the white dress. I want to see you in it." he said.

"No, I almost changed back!" I argued.

"Come out, darling or I'll make you wear my clothes for many days instead" he blackmailed me. My purse was at East City, so Roy was paying for my clothes. So I signed loudly and come out in the dress.

Roy scanned me head to toe and repeated the process again, staring mostly at my legs this time. I rolled my eyes, but blushed when he said, "You look amazing, sweetheart."

"Now keep the dress on for the rest of the day. As much as I love to see you in my clothes, you look even hot in this" he said, "We'll pay for it while you're still wearing it." I noticed the threat in his eyes as he said it, so I agreed.

We were going to pay for all of them when he stopped me and pointed to a stack of lace underpants that were on display. "Buy one of those. I'm tired of seeing your polka-dot panties."

I glared angrily at him, but flushed deep red when a sales woman giggled at Roy's comment. Roy smiled at the woman and winked at me before saying, "Surprise me with the color." _How dare this idiot! Ask that restaurant girl to surprise you more!_

"Will you pay the bill? We're getting late!" I said and went near the billing counter before he could continue with his audacity to make such comments.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Scar's POV**

I didn't think twice about it. I brought my hand to his neck and twisted it until I heard a snap. He stopped struggling and his body fell limp in my arms. I tossed him to the side, not wanting to see the bastard any longer. All of them were bastards. Every single one of those damn military dogs. I wanted to watch each and every one of them struggle and beg for their lives before me, only to meet their end soon after. _They deserve it after what they did to me. My brother. All of us. I'll kill all of them._

 _Especially Mustang._

There were others who had caused more destruction than him in the Ishvalan War, but he was one of them. And knowingly or unknowingly, he was about the create the stone again. _By using Maya._

But I won't let that happen. I'll not have her be used like she's an object. After seeing her yesterday, I had felt something from a long time other than hate. The feelings that I felt when my family was still alive. When I was happy. _No, I need to protect her._

 _She's not his._

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

"Will you quit that?" I said as Roy's hand _accidentally_ landed on my exposed thigh yet another time during our long ride back to Mr. Hughes' house. I had bit my tongue so much now to stop the moans from coming out that it felt numb.

"What?" he said and frowned innocently. I saw Damon smiling at our conversation from the front mirror and I moved farther from Roy to look out the window. We were going past the coast now, so the scenery was beautiful.

As I was examining the ocean that sent huge waves that were gleaming in the sunlight, I noticed an old woman standing near a palm tree who was covered in a purple cloak. My eyes widened as I saw a red light coming from her hand. Before I could tell Roy about this, the taxi came to an abrupt stop. My body jerked from the impact and I landed my head on Roy's shoulder. My head sprung up immediately, but my nose touched his as I stared into his raven-colored eyes. I drew back, but couldn't conceal the blush that spread across my face. _Didn't I convince myself that I've moved on before?_

"Something seems to be wrong with the engine, Sir" Damon said, "Please give me a minute, I'll check it out."

Roy nodded and Damon took off. I heard Roy's phone ring and he picked it up after his eyes widened when he saw the caller name. "Colonel Mustang speaking" he said.

I pretended to not hear the conversation and looked at the beach from the window. "Yes, Lindsey, that works." _Who the hell is Lindsey?_

"I'll meet you today at the same time... Yes, the same restaurant." _The restaurant girl! That's it! I've had enough!_

I opened the door of the black car and strode to the beach. I didn't care that I was wearing heels in the damn sand. I ran despite the striking heat from the sun and drops of tears dropped down my cheeks. I stopped to catch my breath after a while, only to hear Roy call behind me. "Maya! Where're you going?"

I ran again because I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. "Darling! What's wrong?!" That one question was enough to break my wall, and all of my anger and grief that I had been hiding for so long came out at once.

"You're asking **me** what's wrong? What's wrong with **you**?!"

"Maya" Roy said as he came closer. "Are you still upset about the time that I kissed you?" As I remained silent, he came to wipe the tears that were on my cheeks, but I attacked him with my alchemy before I even knew it. The blue light struck his chest and he fell down on the sand, several feet away from me. My eyes widened as I stared at what I had done.

Roy got up and brushed off the sand that was covering his white shirt. "You want to fight? Prepare to get roasted then."

I gulped and stood still, not knowing what to do. I saw him put on his gloves and snap his fingers. An orange light shone from his hands and I managed to move a little, but it still hit my arm and I fell on the sand and rolled over many times. _That b*tch! He ruined my new dress!_

I got up and glared at him angrily. I positioned my hand correctly and the water went towards him, but he stepped back easily and avoided it. Roy's fire came towards me again, so fast that I didn't have any time to react as it surrounded me on all sides.

Roy crossed his hands and calmly watched as I frantically used water to try to put the fire off several times. It took vast amounts of my energy, but the fire eventually died and I made a water bubble around me for protection.

Or so I thought. His fire came towards me again and I gasped as it popped open my water bubble. I sank down to my knees from the impact and I breathed harder. "You need to be trained hard, darling." he said. _Train that stuck up mind of yours! You're nothing but a player!_

I saw Roy coming closer, so I ignored my exhausted body and got up to use my alchemy against him. He tilted his head to the side and let the water drive past him easily. I held my hands into fists in front of my face when he was only a feet away from me. "Stop this, Maya. Why're you doing this?" Roy said calmly.

"Because you're a monster! You play with everyone's feelings!" I yelled but gulped soon after I saw the anger in his eyes.

My water went to attack him again, but he didn't step back this time. He snapped his fingers and his flames went towards my water. I intensified the alchemy and so did Roy. On one end was my blue light and on the other was Roy's orange light. In the middle both of them met and tried to outrun each other. I used almost all of my energy as I saw the fire having a greater impact. The water was greater now, but it went back to neutral again as Roy used more of his energy.

In a blink of an eye, a red light appeared where the two forces were meeting, causing me and Roy to smash against each other. We fell on the sand right next to the waves. The red light disappeared with the water and the fire just as quickly as it had come. Shocked from the impact, I stood still, but got up later as the waves brushed smoothly against my leg. Beside me, Roy came closer.

"Did you really not like it when I kissed you?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter whether I liked it or not! You forced it on me!" I yelled.

"Is that why you were crying?" Roy muttered, almost to himself.

"What're you talking about?" I said, "I was crying because you thought I was naive! I was crying because you think of me as nothing more than a child!"

Roy's eyes widened and I watched as he came even closer and cupped my cheeks. "Yes, I think you're naive. You behave like a little child sometimes" he said and caressed my right cheek, "But I love you that way."

I was dumbfounded and blinked my eyes stupidly for a while. _He loves me? He loves me..._

Next thing I knew, I was overcome with so many emotions like happiness, relief, and something else that I couldn't quite describe. I threw my arms around his neck and drew him into a hug. "It hurt me so much when you kicked me out of your room. It hurt me so much when you didn't talk to me" I mumbled and sobbed, my head on his chest.

His hands circled around my waist and brushed my long blue and black hair softly. "I'm sorry" he said and kissed my forehead.

I wiped my tears and looked into his eyes. He smiled at me for a while and suddenly a smirk was plastered on his face. _I know that smirk! It means trouble!_

He pushed my shoulders without a warning and I stumbled and landed deeper into the water. "What was that for?!" I asked.

Roy yanked his tie out quickly and came up to the water beside me. The waves were smashing playfully against my knees as his body came closer to mine and his hands touched my waist again. He pushed my lower back and forced my chest to touch his. I gasped softly and looked into his mischievous eyes. I clasped his neck as his lips came closer and smashed against mine. A jolt of electricity passed through my body and I smiled and deepened the kiss. My cheeks were burning as I stopped to catch my breath.

I felt his tongue outline my upper lip and then the bottom one. He stopped and I opened my eyes as I saw the devilish smirk playing on his lips. I parted my lips and pulled the collar of his shirt, indicating him to move on since I couldn't wait any longer.

The only sound I could hear was the fast beating of my heart as Roy's tongue started exploring all corners of my mouth. My eyes shut as I allowed my own tongue to play with his. We drew back to catch our breath and I felt my hands unbuttoning his white shirt. Roy helped me, pulled off the shirt, and threw it in the water. I gasped as he pulled me by the wrist and his plump lips worked their magic on my neck. My hands traced his back and his shoulder muscles. I heard Roy growl and he sucked on my neck furiously, different from the soft kisses from before. I arched my back more to allow him full access to my neck.

My hands gripped his belt to avoid falling down, but I was afraid I would anyway since my knees were growing weak and were shaking. "I got you, baby" Roy said as he held my waist tighter and bit the nape of my neck, causing me to moan loudly.

My heart was beating hard in my ear, but I managed to hear someone clearing their throat from behind me. Roy's lips landed on mine again and my heartbeat skyrocketed so much that I couldn't hear anything at all. I frowned as Roy suddenly pulled away. I grimaced and tried to pull his face closer to me again. I saw where he was staring at and turned around. On the beach, Damon cleared his throat again and looked at the ground. His folded hands and bowed face indicated how embarrassed he was when he saw us.

I looked at my hand that was still on Roy's belt and pulled it back. A blush spread across my face as I looked down and silently headed back to the car. Roy followed behind me and sat in the front this time, beside Damon, who was driving. Before the car took off, Roy smiled at me and went to check something on his phone.

 _If he really loves me, then why's he going out the restaurant girl again?_

 **Roy's POV**

 _She liked it when I kissed her._ I smiled and looked at Maya from the front mirror of the car. She was in the back seat and her eyes were examining the roads that we were passing by.

She looked even more enticing her tight white dress. My eyes wondered around her shoulder blades that were exposed, which looked smooth and silky. The dress had a V-shaped neckline and my heart skipped a beat at the glimpse of her chest. The fabric was tight around her slim waist and curvy behind.

She looked like an angel in that dress, beautiful and breathtaking. Her half-blue and half-black hair was swaying by her waist in soft curls as her blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight. I longed to feel my hands again in her hair and on her soft skin.

I could see the spark in her eyes when I had kissed her again on the beach. I wanted to see it again, make her blush again, and hear her moans as I continue to pleasure her in each and every way.

But she didn't look happy in the car. _Is she upset that we were interrupted? No, her eyes seem to wander somewhere far. It must be serious._

 _Whatever you're upset about, sweetheart, I promise I'll make it right._

* * *

 **Fire beat water this time! But maybe next time it won't *wink wink***


	21. Secrets

**Omg I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'll be working on updates more frequently from now.**

 **Shout out to lunatic4eva for the awesome review!**

 **Enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter XXI - Secrets**

By the time we reached Mr. Hughes' house, my throat was dry as I struggled to stop the tears from spilling down my face. _What did I do? Why did I allow him to kiss me? Why couldn't I stop him?_

 _Everytime I'm with him, I feel a pull. His touch is fire, his voice is silk. And his eyes, they penetrate my soul._

 _But something's going on between him and Lindsey._

I avoided eye contact with Roy as we entered the house and went straight to the room. Mrs. Hughes raised her eyebrows and looked at me as I passed by, but I didn't have the patience to talk to her.

As I closed the door behind me, my back hit the wall and I went straight down to my knees. I finally let the tears rush down my cheeks as I hugged my legs. I started off crying about Roy, but later cried about my life and all the faults in it in general. I cried about my feelings for him, my failure in finding the philosopher's stone, and my failure in being with my parents at all times.

I heard a knock on the door and someone's voice. "Are you in there, darling?" Roy said. I didn't reply and continued to sob. The door opened with a noise and I buried my face in my knees. "Darling" Roy said and I heard his footsteps coming towards me. The room was pretty dark because the curtains were closed, concealing the afternoon light, and the house was in a shadowy part of the street in general.

I soon felt a hand on my shoulder, but I brushed it off harshly. I heard a loud sigh and I felt him sit down next to me in the corner of the room.

"You know your little cat that you have?" Roy said, "You're just like it." I looked up and stared into his eyes that were already staring at me. "So moody and unpredictable."

I sniffed and a single drop of tear poured out of my eye. Roy came closer and his thumb softly brushed it away. His other hand cupped my left cheek and he caressed it. "So what's the cat's name?"

"Jestin" I muttered. Roy's eyebrows wove into a frown. "Jes for short."

"What kind of name is that?" he said and smirked, "If I had a pet animal, I would name it Maya."

I pouted, "Well if I had a pig I would name it Roy."

"Oh my, you're so furious. I like it."

Roy said, "How about we name it Cake?" My eyes widened and my mouth watered as Roy continued, "Better yet, let's name it Cheesecake. It's my favorite."

"Now what kind of name is Cheesecake? It's weirder than Jes" I said. I had forgotten all about my grief in the argument.

"Why, do you want to name it Polka-Dots then?" he said and I blushed. I averted my eyes and looked at the floor in embarrassment. Roy suddenly came closer and his soft lips landed on my forehead. "You look better when you blush, my angel" he said, "don't let those tiny diamonds drop down your cheeks." My heart was beating so hard that I could hear it vigorously pounding in my ear. _No, this can't be. How can he possibly be playing me with someone else? His eyes scream that he truly loves me._

"Tell me, why were you crying?" Roy asked.

Just then, his phone started to ring. Roy looked at me and smiled before reaching into his black coat and pulling out his phone. "Colonel Mustang speaking... Yes, I'll be there at the restaurant."

"I'll be back, baby" he said and got up. He opened the curtains and I flinched at the sudden brightness. Roy smiled at me before closing the door and exiting the room.

 _He said he's going to the same restaurant. I know where it is._

* * *

o0❤0o

I stared at the same grey cobblestone street and the row houses that were squished against each other. The place looked completely different in the daylight, with many people hovering in and out of houses and shops. Some women were sitting in balconies and watering their flowers and some men were busy talking to each other in the street. I neared the restaurant carefully and saw an old woman sitting outside her house next to it. She smiled at me and I reluctantly returned it back.

Before I went inside, I remembered what Mrs. Hughes had told me. " _He's not how you think he is, Maya"_ Mrs. Hughes had said as she had caught me quietly exiting the house behind Roy.

I had turned around confused about how she knew what I was doing. " _You're the only one he's in love with."_

I had stared wide-eyed at her and was about to question her when she had said, " _Some secrets are not meant to be shared. But if you want to dig deeper into this one, you must be ready for it. You never know, you might end up wishing you had never known the truth."_

I gulped and pushed the door of the restaurant open. The same smell of wine and bread filled the air and my mouth watered. I glanced at the bar counters to my left, which were empty now. Many tables were filled to the right and two waitresses passed by serving customers and taking orders. In the corner, I saw a four-seater table in which Roy was seated on. Across from him, the same magazine girl twirled her hair between her fingers gave a shy smile at Roy. Roy smirked and looked at his menu after saying something. _They_ _ **are**_ _on a date!_

"Welcome, Ma'am. Table for one?" someone said. _I'm a fool!_ I continued to stare at Roy and remained at the door. Just when I was about to leave, Roy's head turned towards me and his eyes widened. I quickly turned away and ran out the door.

I kept my head down as streams ran down my face again. "Maya!" I heard someone call behind me and my heels clicked faster on the ground. "Darling!" _Stop calling me that! Mrs. Hughes was wrong! I'm not his only one!_

I felt someone's hand on my wrist and I was suddenly pulled into his chest. I looked up at Roy through my teary eyes. "Why're you following me? Go and enjoy your date!" I yelled.

Roy's eyes narrowed and gleamed with anger. "Is that what you think this is about?"

"Yes, now let me go!" I said and struggled to free myself from his grip. His hand tightened around my wrist and his left one held my waist and pushed me closer to him. "I'm not on a date, I'm in a meeting" he said and I rolled my eyes. "I've seen what kind of meetings you attend, Colonel Mustang!" I yelled.

"Maya!" he yelled and I jumped because of his sudden voice change.

He stared into my eyes angrily and soon dragged me back towards the restaurant again. I grimaced and tried to ran away, but without success; he was much stronger than me that I couldn't resist. We stood outside and looked through the glass doors. "Look, I'm not on a date!" he said and pointed at the table in which Ms. Long-Legs Lindsey was sitting. Beside her, Mr. Hughes was seated and was eating an ice cream sundae and across from both of them was Lieutenant Havoc.

"They were not there before..." I muttered.

"Maes was in the bathroom and... and Havoc was getting the waitress' number."

I gasped as Roy pulled me closer to him again. He placed my hands on his chest. His own hand traveled from my shoulders and slowly made its way to my lower back. "This," he said and pointed his index finger towards himself, "This is all yours. I'm all yours, darling."

A warm feeling spread across my chest and my shoulders relaxed. I cupped Roy's cheeks in my hands as tears of joy sprinkled on my cheeks. "I'm all yours too" I felt myself saying. As Roy smiled his sweet, strikingly-hot smile again, I brought my face closer to his soft lips. My hands landed in his raven-colored hair and my lips glided smoothly over his. It was a gentle kiss, a sweet suicide of our lips. My heart rate skyrocketed and my cheeks flushed crimson. Roy kissed me back softly as his hands glided from my waist and slowly circled my hips. I felt lightheaded at his touch. "You taste amazing, sweetheart!" Roy said and I blushed even more. Roy smiled at my red face and we stared into each other's eyes.

"My, my. Young love is so lovely!" I heard someone and saw the old woman from before smiling at us from her front porch. I smiled from embarrassment and buried my face in Roy's chest. Roy chuckled and wove his hands through my hair.

"Roy! There you are" Mr. Hughes said as he exited the restaurant. Lieutenant Havoc followed behind him, but I saw no sign of Lindsey. Roy and I drew back from our embrace, but Roy wove his hand into mine. "What have you lovebirds been up to?"

I blushed and looked down at the ground. Roy pulled me closer to him and said, "Is the meeting over?"

"Yes," said Mr. Hughes, "Lindsey already left and we're leaving too."

"Who's Lindsey?" I asked.

Roy cleared his throat, "She serves for the military."

"Too bad I didn't get to meet her." I said and faked a sad face.

Mr. Hughes replied way too quickly, "Sure, you can meet her some other time. Let's go home, now. My daughter's waiting for me to get home and play with her, you know!"

I smiled at Mr. Hughes' enthusiasm. Roy said to me, "Go to the car with Lieutenant Havoc. Maes and I will be there shortly."

I was about to question him but he brought my hand closer to his lips just then and kissed it softly. "Wait for me, darling" Roy said and winked. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I smiled at Lieutenant Havoc and walked with him as Roy and Mr. Hughes stayed behind.

* * *

o0❤0o

 **No One's POV**

"Thanks for backing me up, Maes." the Colonel said and directed a small smile towards his friend.

The brown-haired military officer put his hands on his hips, "You can't continue to lie to her, Roy. My wife told me she's coming and Havoc and I rushed to the restaurant to save you. The truth will come to her at some point."

The Flame Alchemist looked down at the ground. "Now's not the right time. I just want to protect her."

Hughes put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, buddy. You care about her a lot. But be careful, it might be too late."

* * *

o0❤0o

 **Maya's POV**

"You serious? He stole your previous girlfriend?" I asked Havoc.

"Yeah, Colonel Mustang stole three of my previous girlfriends and took them on dates!"

I frowned and leaned against the black car beside Havoc. "Don't worry, I won't let that attention freak go on any dates anymore!" I said. _Except with me._

"Thanks, Maya. I owe you one." Havoc replied.

I smiled at the blonde officer and wiped the sweat that was pouring from my forehead because of the heat. "It's so hot that Satan called. He wants his weather back..." I muttered.

"There's an ice cream truck right there. Want me to get you some?" Havoc asked.

I thanked his blessed soul and told him to get me a cookies-and-cream cone. "Auntie!" a kid called and came running towards me with a red rose in his hand. I noticed that he was same kid that I was playing the mud puddle with the other day. _I told him to call me sister..._

"Auntie, this is for you" he said and handed me the rose. _Did that Roy send me these? What a sweet idiot!_

"That Uncle told me to give it to you" the boy said and pointed at a man across the street. My eyes widened as I stared at the same white hair and crimson eyes. I looked around to make sure Roy and Maes were nowhere in sight and crossed the street to where Scar was standing. "What're you doing here?" I asked and pulled him into a less crowded part of the street.

"I was just passing by when I saw you in this state" he said and glanced at my outfit. I looked down at my dress and tried to brush the little sand particles that were still lingering there. Despite my efforts, the white bodycon was stained brown and had a dirty look to it. "All thanks to Roy" I muttered.

"That military freak did that to you?" Scar questioned as his eyebrows wove into a frown.

"Yeah, it was kinda my fault though..." I bit my lips and looked at the ground.

"You need to stay away from him, Maya" Scar said, his stare piercing.

"I know, he's an idiot sometimes, but he's also sweet-" I started off, but gasped when Scar suddenly pulled my wrist so that I was forced to look right into his blood-red eyes.

"He's another one of those military bastards, Maya" his tone became more threatening, "all he cares about is discipline and following the military's orders"

I grimaced and pulled my hand away from Scar's. "And what about you? All you care about is justice. But lives don't matter to you!" I yelled and turned back to head towards the car. As I went farther away from him, I heard Scar say, "He does **not** care about anything else, Maya. Not even you.


End file.
